Child, Don't Follow Me
by Seth's Kiss
Summary: AU: A young boy, lost and fleeing, wanders into the dark of a forest, where a demon lurks, waiting. Even so, that's not the worst part, for that one encounter becomes the beginning of a nightmare. Inspired by the song 'Innocence', by Halestorm. Contains spoilers from latest chapters. Rated M due to it being a relatively DARK fic. Full warnings inside. Proceed with caution.
1. Prologue (Raw Version)

**Child, Don't Follow Me (a Kuroshitsuji Fanfiction) by Seth's Kiss:**

A/N: Hi there! I'm Seth's Kiss and I've been writing here for more than a year now. Two things that you probably ought to know about me. I _**adore**_ Manga and Anime series more than life itself, hence most of my writings are about them; and most (not _all_ , but most) of my fics are of a _**dark**_ nature, because it's a lot easier for me than writing anything too _soppy_ , **but** I do have my moments. Anything else you wish to know about me, dear ladies, gents and everyone else, just go ahead and check out my profile. Or PM me. Feel free either way.

Warnings: This fanfiction will be **rated M** , just because all of my writing is. I would _really_ feel terrible if anyone too young or faint-hearted were to stumble on my other stories. But seriously, in this fic there are insinuations and moments of Paedophilia, Non-con M/M (Yaoi), Blood and Violence (in **later** chapters, not here, fortunately enough for me).

Another thing, the 'young boy' is ten years old, _only here_ , in the prologue/flashback, whatever we want to call this pilot chapter. The next chapters will be set seven years later, when the young boy turns seventeen.

In addition to that, I believe it fair to caution that, as I am up to date with the manga, a good part of what's in this fic could be viewed as spoiler-y...if that's even a word. As a bonus warning, because I do believe that this counts as one, I'm **not** a Sebastian fan. There. Don't blame me or claim I didn't mention it whenever that demon undergoes the wrath of writing...

Also, I'm usually not too fond of writing with cuss words yet do expect to find one or two, here and there within my fics.

Once again, if these themes or anything else doesn't appeal to you, either because it offends you or you are still underage: Please, **do NOT read it**... Thank you for your consideration.

Disclaimer: I do **not** own Kuroshitsuji or its characters (they belong to the amazingly talented Toboso Yana). I do own **everything else** however (which is just the ideas and plot in truth). It all comes from my eccentric imagination (I wish there was a pause button to it somewhere). I'd like to apologize beforehand however if the characters are in any way O.O.C, so let me know when you believe they are. I mean, I try as hard as I can to keep them in character (as we all try to do as fanfic writers), but I really tend to let my writing take over my imagination at times.

Official Summary: Pilot Prologue: A young boy, lost, wanders into a forest, where a demon lurks, waiting. Inspired by the song 'Innocence' by Halestorm. AU, but contains spoilers from latest chapters. Rated M due to it being a dark fic. Full warnings inside. Happy Halloween everyone.

 **VERY IMPORTANT NOTE** : This is a PILOT prologue. Meaning, I'm throwing it out here, for you guys to take a look and tell me whether you want to see what happens next or whether the plot is just simply...dull. The thing is, I _**am**_ writing the fic and I _**will**_ eventually post it, but I want to know if the effort is worth it, or if I should postpone this fic for a more important one. So basically, the number of views, reviews and feedback given are what shall determine this story's permanence or not. I hope to hear from a lot of you. Thank you for your consideration.

Another note: Though it'll seem obvious to you who the demon and the young boy are, **neither** will be having the names they are known by in the original series. It'll become clear why later.

* * *

 **Prologue (Raw Version):**

It was the middle of the night. And under the pale moonlight, a young boy was running for his dear life. Running and running, on and on, like flames of a bitter hellfire were right behind him.

Though he ached and gasped, with his limbs and lungs threatening to collapse at any moment, the boy didn't dare stop.

He _couldn't_ , his small bare feet thudding away down a path he was barely paying attention to, barely seeing, an onslaught of tears clouding his vision.

And so, he ran on, ran until he eventually dropped, the effort, the exhaustion, the emotions, all too much to carry on any further.

On his trembling knees with his forehead grazing the soil and dirt, the boy shook, his painfully throbbing heart as tight as his ragged, wheezy breath.

Slamming his eyes shut, he desperately tried to calm himself down, but found it to be intensely difficult.

He just couldn't. Not when he had just been through an unbearably agonizing nightmare. One he dearly wished to have not been real, despite having no idea...that it had _yet_ to end.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Large eyes hazily pried long, thick lashes open, blinking before looking around, disorientated.

The young boy didn't even remember falling asleep.

And it only came to his attention now how utterly _unsafe_ it was doing so, out in the middle of nowhere and in the dark of such a cold night.

But then again, with what had happened back home - slowly, but steadily, coming back to him in brutal segments - his life had stopped being safe and normal ever since that very moment.

Tears threatened to attack his eyes again, but he hastily chased them away.

He could cry later. Right now, he needed to figure out if he had run far enough, where he was now, and, of course, how to get out.

Shakily getting to his tired, sore feet, the young boy slowly, carefully began to meander, eyes squinted to see, but utterly unable to adjust to the dark, despite the dim, faint moonlight present.

After what seemed to be ages, the young boy halted uneasily, realizing that the more he walked, the deeper he seemed to be losing himself in the shadows cast by the trees towering over him.

...Was there _truly_ no way out? Would he be lost here forever?

Goosebumps suddenly trailed the long of his skin as the young boy shivered, wrapping his arms around himself.

It wasn't just the chill of the cold air.

He had this strong, sudden feeling, as though someone...No. _Something_ was watching him...

It took no particular or extreme cleverness to figure out where he had unfortunately ended up.

There was only _one_ forest near the village the boy once lived in.

And _everybody_ spoke ill of it. It, that went by _so_ many names. The Cursed Forest. The Witch's Forest. The Demons' Forest. The Devil's Forest...

Everyone would whisper that the place was cursed, damned, whether at night or during the day.

Only, his family had never been as superstitious as the other villagers, hence they didn't really believe in those stories. So neither did he.

Even so, the boy had never really been fond of the dark. There was something...dangerous about not being able to discern or just simply see what was around you.

Humans were visual creatures. Leave them in complete or partial darkness...and they'll panic, not able to pinpoint what they were hearing, what they were smelling, what they were feeling.

And the young boy was not crazy. There _was_ a presence, somewhere out there beyond the trees.

He was sure of it.

"...Hello?!" he called out tentatively, naively trying to sound bold with his soft, childish voice "Is there anyone here?! _HELLOOO_?!"

"Why, hello there."

With a loud gasp, the young boy jumped out of skin, wide eyes darting around wildly to locate the source of the deep, velvety voice that had suddenly addressed him.

And then he saw it, stilling as he did, whereas he tried to understand what he was _really_ seeing.

Amidst the darkness the boy could make out, was a rather distinctive shadow, darker and thicker than the rest, a mist...that kept moving, undulating on itself, with a pair of eyes in its centre. Cold, unfeeling eyes that were ever-changing. They were like a rainbow, which _only_ had the colour red, in all its hues.

One minute, they were of a dark red blood, and then next, they were bright glittering rubies. And they were focused solely on the boy standing stock still before them.

"H-Hello, sir," finally managed to reply the young boy, unable to take his eyes off that... _being_.

"My, a polite tongue. Just when I thought you had lost it," chuckled the shadow with a timbre to its tone that the boy decided was most definitely male "And what is a little child such yourself doing all alone in a place like this, hm?"

A gentle voice in the young boy's mind whispered to him to be wary, to not talk to strangers, to beware this...creature in the dark.

But for some reason, those warnings seemed so, so far away, and he could barely hear them...

"I- I'm lost."

"Lost? Oh my. That simply will not do," uttered the dark mist smoothly with a gentle tut as it shifted yet again, gradually morphing into a somewhat humanoid form, with two long, lean leather-clad legs emerging from the darkness, touching down in perfect synch.

The young boy blinked, frowning faintly as he tilted his head.

The mist that began gradually making its way towards him _sounded_ like a man. So, why did he have such high heels? They were _really_ high, like...wow.

And they also made a rather odd and loud intimidating sound as the mist moved, each step it took sounding like metal clanging firmly against metal...although the shadow was walking on forest ground.

But that wasn't the only thing that had the child stare on in intrigued fascination, only he was unable to tell what it was as the shadow eventually became a tall, indistinct figure now looming over him, standing there majestically with a cloak of thick rippling tendrils trailing behind it.

The young boy just couldn't look away, completely and utterly spellbound: "...What _are_ you?"

Out of nothing, a broad Cheshire-like smirk appeared all of a sudden underneath those amused red eyes: "Ho? _What_ , and not _who_? Hm. Clever boy. Well, I am nothing, dear child. And I can become _anything_."

"... _Anything_?" repeated the child, large eyes wide and twinkling with awe "Can you turn into a dog? No, no. A bird? No, wait! A _dragon_?!"

A beat of awkward silence and then the boy was laughing, heartily, over the ridiculousness of this conversation, his situation and what his life had become in such a short amount of time.

Here he was, lost and all alone in the Devil's Forest, talking to _a shadow_.

Maybe he had lost his mind. Maybe this all was dream. Or a nightmare.

...Maybe he had actually died back home too.

Half-entertained, half-aggravated, the shadow merely watched on for a moment as the boy had unstoppable hysterics, before it questioned the child lightly: "...Do you find this amusing?"

"Yes, very!" breathed out the young boy between laughs, tears at the corners of his eyes, before he stilled and let out a gasp as the majorly formless figure sharply thrust its 'face' down to his, eyes glittering again.

"And do you not _fear_ me, little one?"

The child actually had to think about that before replying.

He _supposed_ he did - who in their right mind wouldn't? - but for some unfathomable reason, that fear didn't seem relevant to him, didn't seem important, necessary.

...He wondered why.

"Um...No. I don't."

The shadow smoothly smirked that inhumanly wide smile of his again: "Well, at least you have _no_ trouble uttering the truth. Where do you live, child?"

Despite not expecting the unpredicted change of subject, the boy replied anyway: "In a house."

Although he couldn't make out the mist's features at all, the child had the feeling that it had just arched its eyebrow at his response: "Which is _where_ , dear?"

"...I dunno. Out there. ...Somewhere."

"How _wonderfully_ vague," uttered the shadow as it straightened up again with an exasperated sigh, before it slowly began moving away "Come. I will lead you out of this place. Then, you will simply wait until someone finds you to take you home-"

"I don't wanna!" cried out the boy sharply, shaking his head in fear and taking a few steps back.

The creature paused in its step, before glancing over its shoulder: "...You do not want to _what_?"

"I don't wanna go back!"

"Why ever not?" demanded the shadowy figure, incredulity to its tone as it stared at the other.

"...Because," mumbled the young boy, a slight tremble to his frame as his gaze became distant.

The mist's ever-changing eyes narrowed in faint annoyance. Could this child not _speak_ clearly? Despite its many talents and abilities, it was _not_ a mind-reader.

"That is _not_ an answer, child. Formulate a sentence."

The young boy hesitated a little, an unbearable sadness to his features, before he gazed up into the mist's cold red eyes: "I don't wanna go...because I _can't_ go back."

Here, the dark mist was genuinely puzzled. And rather intrigued, under the impression that the boy would rather remain here than go back to wherever he had come from.

Not that the being didn't really have anything to do with that, in truth, but normally, it was in any human's natural instinct to eventually sense the danger it was and pull away from it, to run and flee from it - a chase it quite cruelly enjoyed.

Even so, regardless of its imposing influence, the child honestly seemed to have no motivation to return home at all.

"Why? Surely you would not want to remain _here_? In the dark?"

If it wasn't mistaken, humans, children in particular, were afraid of darkness, weren't they?

"N-No!" panicked the child, endorsing the shadow's thoughts, before the boy bit his lip "But..."

" _But_?" it pushed in a light tone, despite growing a little impatient "Talk to me, child. I do not have all night. Speak, or I will leave."

That had the child look up in complete and utter alarm, like he had just been told that the whole world was going to end: "No! Please, don't leave me here alone, I-! ...I have nowhere to go."

"What of your home?" the creature insisted yet again, now truly unable to comprehend _why_ the young boy refused to go back to the haven of his household.

But then, on second thought, the boy's current state must have clues to whatever reason there was.

Without taking into account that he was all pale and scrawny, as if he was sickly _and_ underfed, the child was hardly dressed, wearing a pair of tight dark shorts which was barely seen under the oversized and messily buttoned-up shirt, which _once_ appeared to be white.

It was now stained with blood, ash, soot and dirt. But the blood on it wasn't his.

It didn't match the scent of the one seeping from the various, but small scrapes, bruises, burns and cuts garnishing the child's lower legs, forearms - out in the open due to rolled-up sleeves - and face, which was also littered with filth.

...What on earth happened to this young boy?

The shadow being didn't have to wonder long, as it was soon given the answer to that question.

"My home, it... It's full of fire. Oh. And smoke too."

It was true. The creature could sense the presence of a raging fire in the distance. It was _massive_ , leading the formless figure to wonder _how_ the boy survived it.

"...Your parents?"

Again, sadness beautifully filled the young boy's large pretty eyes: "They've been made dead."

...Ah. So this darling boy had been made an orphan too.

"We say 'they have been _killed_ '," corrected the mist with a ticked off tone, entirely insensitive to the child's anguish and more bothered by his way of talking, unable to tolerate hearing such errors "What the devil is wrong with your speech, child? ...Did you never study grammar?"

Shaking his head, the boy blinked up at the mist adorably: "My parents never sent me to school."

" _Clearly_ ," it scoffed scathingly, before continuing with its inquiries "Any brothers? Sisters?"

"...I have- had a brother. A big twin brother. Ciel. He is- was really amazing. Nothing like me."

Oh? So the child had low esteem? Evidently he had no idea of his worth, how _priceless_ he was.

"And do you have...Aunts? Uncles? Grandparents? Cousins? ... _Anyone_ at all?"

"Everyone has been made dead, sir," whispered the boy miserably with lowered eyes, uttering in his grief the same mistake as before, and yet the creature gallantly didn't point it out this time "The whole village. I've lost everybody. ...In the fire."

The shadow perked up at that last bit, lips splitting into a wide grin, amused beyond measure. That last bit uttered by the child, had been a half-lie.

"So," voiced the creature gently, its tone not at all matching the sudden look of utter glee in its now glowing eyes, something that the child missed with his downcast gaze "You have _no one_ to look after you?"

"...Nope."

Oh my...This was almost too good to be true.

Initially approaching the child out of utter boredom and with the intention to have him walk out of its domain, the mist instead found itself drawn to this young boy, intrigued by his singularity. And it no longer wanted to let him leave.

Hence, imagine its luck, that not only had the boy ventured into its territory, all on his own, utterly powerless and defenceless against it, but he also had no one left, no one that would care or search for him...when he disappeared.

The shadow slowly ran its eerily long tongue across its lips, its eyes turning ravenous, predatory. Terrifying.

It could just about devour the child, right here, right now.

And no one would ever know.

Just as the monster in the dark got ready to lunge for the child, all set for the feast before it, the latter sniffed and glanced up at the shadow, with those large credulous and gullible eyes of his.

"Unless..." the boy then voiced tentatively with an air of shyness, causing the shadow being to pause long enough, much too long, for the little human to utter words that sent the creature's entire existence over the edge "You take care of me, sir?"

Now _this_ , the frozen and wide-eyed creature did not expect. Nor understand. At all.

It was one thing to be completely caught in the trance it could induce, the feeling of fear towards it turned numb. But it was totally another story to be so absolutely... _blind_ to the fact that this creature was not a being to have _any_ faith in. No matter how naïve.

...What are truly bizarre little human had wandered into its domain.

"The nerve of you, child," voiced the dark mist after a moment with a hearty, mocking laugh "Do I _look_ like the babysitting kind to you?"

Despite being briefly unsettled by its laugh, the young boy was actually more bothered by the deriding jibe in its words: "Hey! I don't need a _baby_ sitter! I'm _ten_!"

Positively amused by the little human's harmless indignation, it smirked condescendingly with a dark chuckle: " _Wonderful_. You are old enough to take care of yourself then, child. Farewell."

"Wait! WAIT!"

As he called out in panic and hurriedly chased after the disappearing darkness, the young boy was half-expecting to run through the shadow and fall face first to the ground.

Instead, he found that he collided with a sort of solid matter, which still managed to feel like a murky-like mist at the touch. Regardless, the little human, not hesitating, was able to wrap his tiny arms around it and hold on to what felt like one of the legs of the figure, which stilled entirely before stiffening at the sudden contact.

"Unhand me, child," it gritted out slowly, not even bothering casting the young boy a glance whilst letting out a low, terrifying guttural sound, that was halfway between a hiss and a growl.

But that didn't deter the child in the least, who downright refused to be left alone out here. And even less out _there_ , where he had seen _real_ monsters

"D- Don't leave me alone. I'm scared. _Please_."

"Then let me lead you out of this forest and over to the main road-" it began, before sighing in utter frustration when it felt the boy shake his head furiously " _Why_ must you be _so_ stubborn?"

"Because I don't trust people _**anymore**_! ...Not with what they've done to my family. To my friends. To all those I've ever loved. To me," blurted out the young boy, tears that he had wanted to stow away, cascading down his cheeks uncontrollably, before he then spoke with a venomous voice no child should ever have "I _hate_ people. All and every one of them."

Heavy silence briskly fell down on the moment, with the little human, his face buried in the mist's cloak, letting out soft, sobbing sounds as the shadowy being silently looked on down at him out of the corner of its eye.

Ten years old, he had said he was? At certain given moments, the creature had to wonder.

One instant, the child was the most clueless, foolish human it had ever encountered. The next, he was all riddles and lies, sole survivor of a mysterious tragedy that had robbed him of ever believing in mankind again...

"And you would rather trust _me_?" inquired the shadow, sheer incredulity back within its tone "Do you have the slightest idea of what I am?"

The formless, faceless figure thought that the boy _might_ have caught on to what it really was, or at least close enough to that, but it was as if he actually didn't care-

"I _don't_ care!" he cried, trembling horribly as he held on tight to the figure's formless form, his watery voice a beseeching whisper "I promise, I won't be trouble for you. You won't even notice me! ...Please. Just, _please_ , don't leave me here alone. ...Take me with you. _Please_."

For once, the monster in the dark was at lost for words, its silver tongue failing it at the moment.

...A child's heartache and innocence combined, was truly, most definitely a frightening thing.

"You do not know what you are asking, little one," murmured the mist, too softly to be heard.

 _You see it from the outside_

 _You're running toward the wall_

 _Swinging from your blind side_

 _But you don't know me at all_

Not notice him, the child had just said? _Preposterous_.

Ever since this young boy had set foot in his forest, the dark shadow had eyes _only_ for him. At such a young age, the boy's heart had already been torn, tainted black, and despite that...he still remained so attractively innocent, so pure.

A fascinating and riveting paradox, one the creature of the dark couldn't even begin to explain.

It should be impossible. Yet...here the boy stood.

And as such, with the rarity of this particular prey in all his anguish, hate and naivety, it wanted the young boy for itself. To make him its possession. To corrupt him, mind, body and soul.

A pathological and totally irrational impulse - which its kind would indulge in every now and then on a mere whim - yet one it was courteously and considerately attempting to push away. But the boy was not helping in the least.

...Oh well. It did _try_ after all, didn't it?

"Alright then," it eventually conceded, smoothly lowering itself to kneel down beside the still sobbing boy "I will look after you. Since you are _begging_ for it so nicely. But, I warn you, child. There _is_ a price."

Blinking away his tears as a dim glimmer of hope and relief touched his aching soul, the young boy looked at the other and wrinkled his nose cutely in sincere confusion at the shadow's words.

"A price? ...Do you want money?" he asked, before hastily reaching into one of his pockets and producing a couple of coins with a confident smile, genuinely proud of himself for getting it "Is this enough?"

Oh how _utterly_ precious.

"Do not misunderstand me, child," drawled the shadow softly with sinister derision to its tone "My _generosity_ does not come free. _If_ you want me to take you in, I will. However, you will have to do _something_ for me in turn."

"Ok. Like what?"

"Without _even_ an ounce of hesitation," murmured the being with a sigh of feigned contrite, before it chuckled darkly, eyes glimmering "What a naïve boy you are. No fool such as yourself has _ever_ willingly thrown themselves in my clutches. Do you even fully realize what you are agreeing to?"

"Yep," nodded the child enthusiastically, seeing nothing but salvation in the dark mist before him "If I want you to _really_ take care of me, I'm gonna have to give you something. To pay the price. Did I get it right?"

"Oh my. You are _too_ innocent, it is almost painful. But oh-so so delectable," it mentioned with a sinister shine to its eyes as it slowly held a hand, newly formed from its mist, letting its clawed fingers halt a breadth away from the boy's cheek "Last chance, little one. You either leave _now_. Or you will _never_ be able to."

"I stay with you," the child accepted unhesitatingly, with it never once crossing his mind that he might very well regret this decision for the rest of his life.

"...Very well then. Do me a favour, child. _**Never**_ forget that _this_ , was _your_ choice," pointed out the monster in the dark, as it gently but firmly wrapped its hand around the little human's neck, its Cheshire grin returning, even wider in size, whilst its entire form began to undulate violently.

Only now, did the 'trance' break, the dark mist clearing and finally allowing the child to fully _**see**_ the creature in front of him.

And, only now, did the young boy, white as death, let out a silent scream. But it was too late...

 _Child, don't follow me home_

 _You're just too perfect for my hands to hold_

 _If you choose to stay, you'll throw it all away_

 _And I just want to take..._

* * *

 **A/N:** So,I really, _really_ wanted to post something for Halloween (though I'm a few days late), but there was _**no way**_ I would have been able to finish any of the updates to my ongoing fics in such a short time, despite the contents being ghastly and horrific enough for this particular day of the year.

Anyways, this is actually an idea I had for a while back, but I never got to flesh it out into a fic, even though this is a raw version of the actual thing.

In all honesty, it's _the song_ that inspired this fic. So, this is basically a Song-fic...Sort of. As you'll see, the fic has snippets of the lyrics to fit the plot, not the _whole_ song. Even so, I _REALLY_ recommend listening to it. It's truly wicked...if you're a fan of the rock genre, that is.

When I first heard the lyrics, I instantly associated them to Kuroshitsuji from some reason. And given that I _**despise**_ that damn demon (sorry about that, Undertaker fan here, in addition to me wanting 'Ciel' to freaking _live_ , ok?), I push at every occasion I have to speak ill of him or portray him negatively. I _really_ don't like him. He creeps me out, gives me nightmares. ...Don't judge me.

Anyhow, please feel free to check out my other fics (if you dare or if you can bear them). Again, my writing _is_ mostly dark, but you might find a few light-hearted fics (I mean, we kind of do need a break every now and then, right?).

Furthermore, please do not hesitate to send PMs to forward me any questions you might have. I may write dark, but I don't bite. I promise.

Thank you for giving this fic a little of your time.

Bye! And Happy Halloween to all of you!


	2. Prologue (Full Version)

**Child, Don't Follow Me (a Kuroshitsuji Fanfiction) by Seth's Kiss:**

A/N: Hello, dear ladies, gents and everyone else, I'm back! So, initially, for Halloween 2018, I had this posted as a pilot prologue, which is what the previous, rather raw, chapter basically is. This update however is the _**full**_ prologue. The beginning remains majorly unchanged, just a few things fixed, and the new added bit starts after ' _Seven Years Later_ '. Please do enjoy the update!

Warnings: Insinuations of Paedophilia and M/M Non-con (Yaoi/BL), Language and Violence.

Note: Though it'll seem obvious to you who the demon and the young boy are in the fic, **neither** will be having the names they are known by in the original series. It'll become clear why later.

Also, before anything else, a very, VERY big thank you to: **19Yuu** , **narutorocks18** , **Marychan10** and **StBuckley97** for following; **Miss Meep** , **HeroinPhoenix** , **narutorocks18** , **Inopportune** **Opportunist** , **Kallen21** , **Marychan10** and **lululikesfood94** for putting this fic on favourites; and **19Yuu** , **narutorocks18** , **StBuckley97** and **Bruh** for reviewing. Thank you all X3 !

 **To Bruh:** Hello and thank you so much for your review! When I read _'Our!Ciel'_ in your review, I simply knew you were up-to-date with the manga, which is going a little crazy right now, isn't it? A tip of the hat to Yana-sensei, always amazing us with her plot twists. That said, thank you so much for taking your time to read this fic and appreciate it. Your words truly flatter me X3

* * *

 **Prologue:**

It was the middle of the night. And under the pale moonlight, a young boy was running for his dear life. Running and running, on and on, like flames of a bitter hellfire were right behind him.

Though he ached and gasped, with his limbs and lungs threatening to collapse at any moment, the boy didn't dare stop.

He _couldn't_ , his small bare feet thudding away down a path he was barely paying attention to, barely seeing, an onslaught of tears clouding his vision as he trudged onwards, aimlessly.

And so, he ran.

He ran, on and on, until he eventually and abruptly dropped down hard, like a mass. The effort, the exhaustion, the emotions, all too much for him to carry on any further.

On his trembling knees with his forehead grazing the soil and dirt, the boy shook, his painfully throbbing heart as tight as his ragged, wheezy breath.

Slamming his eyes shut, he desperately tried to calm himself down, but found it to be difficult.

He just couldn't. Not when he had just been through a lurid and agonizing nightmare. One he dearly, desperately wished to have not been real, despite having no idea...that it had _yet_ to end.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Large eyes hazily pried long, thick lashes open, blinking, before looking around, disorientated.

The young boy didn't even remember closing them, even less falling asleep.

And it only came to his attention now how utterly _unsafe_ it was doing so, alone out in the middle of nowhere, and in the dark of such a cold, unforgiving night.

But then again, with what had happened back home - slowly, but steadily, coming back to him in brutal segments - his life had stopped being safe and normal ever since that one moment then.

Tears threatened to assault his eyes again, but he hastily chased them away. He could cry later. Right now, he needed to figure out if he had run far enough from the horror he had left behind.

As his big, wide eyes warily looked around, he wondered where he had landed himself, and, of course, how he was to get out.

Shakily getting to his tired, sore feet, the young boy slowly, carefully began to meander, eyes squinted to see, but utterly unable to adjust to the dark, despite the dim, faint moonlight present.

After what seemed to be ages, the young boy halted uneasily, realizing that the more he walked, the deeper he seemed to be losing himself in the shadows, cast by the trees towering over him.

...Was there _truly_ no way out? Would he be forever lost in...wherever _here_ was?

Goosebumps suddenly trailed all over his skin as the young boy shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. And it wasn't just the chill of the icy air.

He had this strong, instinctive feeling, as though someone...No. _Something_ was watching him...

It did take him a moment, but in the end, it took no particular or excessive cleverness to figure out where he had, quite unfortunately, ended up.

There was only _one_ forest near the village the boy once lived in. And _everybody_ spoke ill of it. It, that went by _so_ many names.

The Dark Forest.

The Cursed Forest.

The Witch's Forest.

The Demons' Forest.

The Devil's Forest...

Everyone would whisper that the place was cursed, damned, whether at night or during the day.

Only, his family had never been as superstitious as the other villagers, hence they really didn't believe in those stories. And, therefore, neither did he.

Even so, the boy had never really been fond of the dark. There was something...dangerous about not being able to discern, or just simply _see_ , what was around, may it be lurking or passing by.

Humans were natural visual creatures. Leave them in complete or partial darkness...and they'll panic, not able to pinpoint what they were hearing, what they were smelling, what they were feeling. And fear of the unknown was a real and terrible truth.

But the young boy was not crazy. There _was_ a presence, somewhere out there beyond the trees.

He was sure of it.

"...Hello?!" he called out tentatively, naively trying to sound bold with his soft, childish voice "Is there anyone here?! _HELLOOO_?!"

"Why, hello there."

With a loud gasp, the boy jumped out of his skin, wide eyes darting around wildly to locate the source of the velvety, baritone voice, all deep and eerie, that had unexpectedly addressed him.

And then he saw it, stilling as he did, whereas he tried to understand what he was _really_ seeing.

Amidst the darkness the boy could make out, was a rather distinctive shadow, darker and thicker than the rest.

A mist...that kept moving, undulating on itself, with a pair of eyes in its centre. Cold, unfeeling eyes that were ever-changing. They were like a rainbow of a single light, which _only_ had the colour red, in all its hues.

One minute, they were of a dark, blood red, and then next, they were bright glittering rubies. And they were focused, and raptly riveted, solely on the boy standing stock still before them.

"H-Hello, sir," finally managed to reply the young boy, unable to take his eyes off that... _being_.

"My, what a polite tongue. Just when I thought it had, all of a sudden, abandoned you," chuckled the shadow with a timbre to its tone that the boy confirmed was most definitely male "And _what_ is a little child, such yourself, doing all alone in a place like this, hm?"

A gentle voice in the back of the boy's mind whispered to him to be wary, to not talk to strangers - _especially_ not to...something clearly not human in any way - to turn around and flee, to beware this _creature_ in the dark.

But for some reason, those warnings seemed so, _so_ far away, and he could barely hear them...

"I- I'm lost."

"Lost? Oh my. That simply will not do," uttered the dark mist smoothly with a gentle tut as it shifted yet again, gradually morphing into a somewhat humanoid form, with two long, lean leather-clad legs emerging from the darkness that touched down in perfect synch.

The young boy blinked, frowning faintly as he tilted his head to the side, somewhat confused.

The mist - that was now gradually making its way towards him - _sounded_ like a man. So, why did he have such feminine-looking legs and high heels? The latter were _really_ high, like...wow.

And they also made a rather odd and loud intimidating sound as the shadow moved, each step it took sounding like metal clanging firmly and piercingly against metal...although the creature was just walking on mere forest ground.

But that wasn't the sole thing that had the child stare on in intrigued fascination, only he was unable to tell what it was as the shadow eventually became a tall, indistinct figure now looming over him, standing there majestically with a cloak of thick, rippling tendrils trailing behind it.

The young boy just couldn't look away, completely and utterly spellbound: "...What _are_ you?"

All of a sudden and out of nothing, a broad Cheshire-like smirk - of sharp, pearly white teeth - appeared underneath those amused, crimson eyes: "Ho? _What_ , and not _who_? Hm. Clever little boy. Well, I am nothing, dear child. And I can become _anything_."

"... _Anything_?" repeated the child, large eyes wide and twinkling with awe, naively oblivious of the danger right in front him "Can you turn into a dog? No, no. A bird? No, wait! A _dragon_?!"

A beat of awkward silence and then the boy was laughing, heartily, over the ridiculousness of this conversation, his situation and what his life had become in such a short amount of time.

Here he was, lost and all alone in the Devil's Forest, talking to _a shadow_. Maybe he had lost his mind. Maybe this all was dream. Or a nightmare. ...Maybe he too had actually died back there at home, just like everyone else had.

Half-entertained, half-aggravated, the shadow merely watched on for a moment as the boy had unstoppable hysterics, before it questioned the child lightly: "...Do you find this amusing, boy?"

"Yes, very!" breathed out the young boy between laughs, tears at the corners of his eyes, before he stilled and let out a gasp as the majorly formless figure sharply thrust its 'face' down to his, eyes glittering again.

"And do you not _fear_ me, little one?"

The child actually had to think about that before replying.

He _supposed_ he did - when facing something otherworldly, who in their right mind _wouldn't_? - but, once again, for some unfathomable reason, that fear didn't seem relevant to him, didn't seem important, necessary.

...He wondered why.

"Um...No. I don't. Sir."

The shadow smoothly smirked that inhumanly wide smile again, eyes changing once more: "Well, at least you have _no_ trouble in uttering the truth. Where do you live, child?"

Despite not expecting the sudden change of subject, he still found himself answering anyway: "In a house."

Although he couldn't make out the mist's features at all, the child had the feeling that it had just arched its eyebrow at his response: "Which is _where_ , dear?"

"...I dunno. Out there. ...Somewhere."

"How _wonderfully_ vague," uttered the shadow as it straightened up again with an exasperated sigh, before it slowly began moving away "Come. I will lead you out of this place. Then, you will simply wait until someone finds you to take you home-"

"I don't wanna!" cried out the boy sharply, shaking his head in fear and taking a few steps back.

The creature paused in its step, before glancing over its shoulder: "...You do not want to _what_?"

"I don't wanna go back!"

"Why ever not?" demanded the shadowy figure, incredulity to its tone as it stared at the child.

"...Because," mumbled the young boy, a slight tremble to his frame as his gaze became distant.

The mist's ever-changing eyes narrowed in faint annoyance. Could this child not _speak_ clearly? Despite its many talents and abilities, it was _not_ a mind-reader. At least, not in _this_ case.

"That is _not_ an answer, child. Do formulate a sentence."

The young boy hesitated a little, an unbearable sadness to his features, before he gazed up into the dark mist's cold, blood red ethereal eyes: "I don't wanna go...because I _can't_ go back."

Here, the shadow was genuinely puzzled. And rather intrigued, under the impression that the boy would rather _truly_ stay here, with it, than go back to wherever he had initially come from.

Not that the being itself didn't really have anything to do with that, in truth. However, _normally_ , it was in any human's natural instinct to eventually sense the danger the creature was and pull away from it, to run and flee from it - a chase it quite sadistically enjoyed and hungered for.

Even so, regardless of its imposing influence, the child honestly seemed to have no motivation to return home at all.

"...Why? Surely, little one, you would not want to remain _here_? All by yourself? In the dark?"

If it was not mistaken, humans, children in particular, were fearful of darkness, were they not?

"N-No!" panicked the child, endorsing the shadow's thoughts, before the boy bit his lip "But..."

" _But_?" it pushed in a light tone, despite growing a little impatient "Talk to me, child. I do not have all night. Speak, or I _will_ leave."

That had the child look up in complete and utter alarm, like he had just been told that the whole world was going to end: "NO! Please, don't leave me here alone, I-! ...I have nowhere to go."

"What of your _home_?" the creature insisted yet again, now truly unable to comprehend _why_ the young boy refused to go back to the haven of his household. Was the child mentally unwell?

But then, on second thought, the boy's current state must have _some_ clues to whatever reason there was for the little human's reluctance to go back.

Without taking into account that he was all pale and scrawny, as if he was sickly _and_ underfed, the child was hardly dressed, wearing a pair of tight dark shorts that was barely seen under the oversized and messily buttoned-up shirt, which _once_ appeared to be white. It was now stained with blood, ash, soot and dirt.

But most of the blood on him wasn't the boy's.

It didn't match the scent of the one seeping from the various, but small scrapes, bruises, burns and cuts garnishing the child's lower legs, forearms - out in the open due to rolled-up sleeves - and face, which was also littered with filth.

...What on earth happened to this boy?

The shadow being didn't have to wonder long, as it was soon given an answer to that question.

"My home, it... It's full of fire. Oh. And smoke too."

It was true. Now that it was paying attention, the creature could sense the presence of a raging fire in the distance.

It was _massive_ , leading the formless figure to wonder _how_ the boy had survived and escaped it.

"...Your parents?"

Again, sadness beautifully filled the young boy's large, pretty eyes: "They've been made dead."

...Ah. So this lovely boy was not only lost and alone, but made an orphan too. ' _Poor_ ' little lamb.

"We say 'they have been _killed_ '," corrected the mist with a ticked off tone, entirely insensitive to the child's anguish and more bothered by his way of talking, unable to tolerate hearing such errors "What the devil is wrong with your speech, child? ...Have you never studied grammar?"

Shaking his head, the boy blinked up at the mist adorably: "My parents never sent me to school."

" _Clearly_ ," it scoffed scathingly, before continuing with its inquiries "Any brothers? Sisters?"

"...I have- _had_ a brother. A big twin brother, Ciel. He is- _was_ really amazing. Nothing like me."

Oh? So the child had low esteem? Evidently he had no idea of his worth, how _priceless_ he was.

"And do you have...Aunts? Uncles? Grandparents? Cousins? _Other_ relatives? ... _Anyone_ at all?"

"Everyone has been made dead, sir," whispered the boy miserably with lowered eyes, uttering in his grief the same mistake as before, and yet the creature gallantly didn't point it out this time "The whole village. I've lost everybody. ...In the fire."

The shadow perked up at that last bit, lips splitting into a wide grin, amused beyond measure. That _last_ bit uttered by the child, had been a _half_ -lie.

"So," voiced the creature gently, its tone not at all matching the sudden look of utter glee in its now glowing eyes, something that the child missed with his downcast gaze "You have _no one_ to look after you, little one?"

"...Nope."

Oh my...This was almost too tragically good to be true.

Initially approaching the child out of utter boredom and with the intention to have him walk out of its domain eventually, after toying around him for a bit, the mist instead found itself drawn to this young boy, intrigued by his singularity. And it no longer wanted to let him leave.

Hence, imagine its luck, that not only had the boy ventured into its territory, all on his own, utterly powerless and defenceless against it, but he also had nobody left, no one that would care or search for him...when he disappeared.

The shadow slowly ran its eerily long tongue across its lips, its eyes turning ravenous, predatory. Terrifying.

It could just about devour the child, right here, right now. ...And no one at all would _ever_ know.

Just as the monster in the dark got ready to lunge for the child, all set for the feast before it, the boy sniffed and glanced up at the shadow, with those large credulous and gullible eyes of his.

"Unless..." he then voiced tentatively with an air of shyness, causing the shadow being to pause long enough, much too long, for the little human to utter words that sent the creature's entire existence over the edge "Could _you_ take care of me, sir? I- I mean, if you want to."

Now _this_ , the frozen and wide-eyed creature did not expect. Nor understand. At all.

It was one thing to be completely caught in the trance it could induce, the feeling of fear towards it turned numb.

But it was TOTALLY another story to be so absolutely... _blind_ to the fact that this creature was not a being to have _any_ faith in. No matter how naïve.

...What a truly bizarre little human had wandered into its domain.

"The nerve of you, child," voiced the dark mist after a moment with a hearty, mocking laugh "Do I _look_ like the babysitting kind to you?"

Despite being briefly unsettled by its laugh, the young boy was actually more bothered by the deriding jibe in its words: "Hey! I don't need a _baby_ sitter! I'm _ten_!"

Positively amused by the little human's harmless indignation, it smirked condescendingly with a dark chuckle: " _Wonderful_. You are old enough then to take care of yourself, child. Farewell."

"W-Wait! WAIT!"

As he called out in panic and hurriedly chased after the disappearing form of darkness, the young boy was half-expecting to run through the shadow and fall face first to the ground.

Instead, he found that he collided with a sort of solid matter, which still managed to feel like thick, murky-like wafts of mist to the touch.

Regardless, the little human, not hesitating, was able to wrap his tiny arms around it and hold on to what felt like one of the legs of the figure, which stilled entirely before stiffening at the sudden contact.

"Unhand me, child," it gritted out slowly, not even bothering on casting the young boy a glance whilst letting out a low, chilling guttural sound, that was halfway between a hiss and a growl.

But that didn't deter the child in the least, who downright refused to be left alone out here. And even less out _there_ , outside of this forest, where he had, regrettably, witnessed the _real_ monsters.

"D- Don't leave me alone! _Please._ ...I'm scared."

"Then let me lead you out of this forest and over to the main road-" it began, before sighing in utter frustration when it felt the boy shake his head furiously " _Why_ must you be _so_ stubborn?"

"Because I don't trust _**people**_ anymore! ...Not with what they've done to my family. To my friends. To all those I've ever loved. To me," blurted out the young boy, tears that he had wanted to stow away, cascading down his cheeks uncontrollably, before he then spoke with a venomous voice no child should ever have "I _hate_ people. All and every one of them."

Heavy silence briskly fell down on the moment, with the little human, his face buried in the mist's rippling cloak, letting out soft, sobbing sounds as the shadowy being, silently, looked on down at him out of the corner of its eye.

Ten years old, he had said he was? Yet, at certain given moments, the creature had to wonder.

One instant, the child was the most clueless, foolish human it had ever encountered. The next, he was all riddles and lies, sole survivor of a mysterious tragedy that had robbed him of ever believing in mankind again...

"And you would rather trust _me_ , careless child?" inquired the shadow, sheer incredulity back within its tone "Do you have the slightest idea of what I am?"

The formless, faceless figure thought that the boy _might_ have caught on to what it really was, or at least close enough to that, but it was as if he actually didn't care-

"I _don't_ care! Better you than them!" he cried, trembling horribly as he held on tighter to the figure's formless form, his teary voice a beseeching whisper "I promise, I won't be any trouble for you. You won't even notice me! ...Please. Just, _please_ , don't leave me here alone. ...Take me with you. _Please_."

For once, the monster in the dark was at lost for words, its silver tongue failing it at the moment.

...A child's heartache and innocence combined, was truly, most definitely a frightening thing.

"You do not know what you are asking, little one," murmured the mist, too softly to be heard.

 _/ You see it from the outside_

 _You're running toward the wall_

 _Swinging from your blind side_

 _But you don't know me at all /_

Not notice him, the child had just said? _Preposterous_.

Ever since this young boy had set foot in its forest, the dark shadow had eyes _only_ for him. At such a young age, the boy's heart had already been torn, painted black, and despite that...he still remained so attractively naïve, innocent, oh-so pure.

A fascinating and riveting paradox, one the creature of the dark couldn't even begin to explain.

It should be impossible. Yet...here the boy stood.

And as such, with the rarity of this particular prey in all his anguish, hate and naivety, it wanted the young boy for itself. To make him its possession. To corrupt him, mind, body and soul. To drag on the pain and make it worse, rather than just devour him and end it for the young boy.

A pathological and totally irrational impulse - which its kind would indulge in every now and then on a mere whim - yet one it was courteously and considerately attempting to push away. But the boy was not helping in the least, pleading to stay with it rather than run for his dear life.

...Oh well. No one could ever deny that it did _attempt_ to reason with the boy after all, didn't it?

"Alright then," it eventually conceded, smoothly lowering itself to kneel down beside the still sobbing boy "I shall look after you, dear boy. Since you are _begging_ for it so nicely. But, I warn you, child. There _is_ a price."

Blinking away his tears as a dim glimmer of hope and relief touched his aching soul, the young boy looked at the other and wrinkled his nose cutely in sincere confusion at the shadow's words.

"A price? ...Do you want money?" he asked, before hastily reaching into one of his pockets and producing a few coins with a confident smile, sincerely proud of himself for 'understanding' "Is this enough? If not, I can work-"

Oh, how _utterly_ precious.

"Do not misunderstand me, child," drawled the shadow softly with sinister derision to its tone "My _generosity_ does not come free. _If_ you want me to take you in, then I shall. However, you will have to do _something_ for me in turn."

"Alright. Like what?"

"...Without _even_ an ounce of hesitation," murmured the being with a sigh of feigned contrite, before it chuckled darkly, eyes glimmering "What a naïve boy you are. No fool such as yourself has _ever_ willingly thrown themselves into my clutches. Do you even fully realize what you are agreeing to?"

"Yep," nodded the sweet child eagerly, seeing nothing but salvation in the dark mist before him "If I want you to _really_ take care of me, I'm gonna have to give you something. To pay the price. Did I get it right?"

"Oh my. You are _too_ innocent, it is almost painful. But oh-so so delectable," it mentioned with a sinister shine to its eyes as it slowly held out a hand, newly formed from its mist, and letting its clawed, gnarled fingers halt a second away from the boy's pale, tear-stained and soiled cheek "Last chance, little one. You either leave _now_. Or you will _never_ be able to."

"I'll stay with you," the child accepted unhesitatingly, with it never once crossing his mind that he might very well regret this particular decision for the rest of his life.

"...Very well then. Do me a favour, child. _**Never**_ forget that _this_ , was _your_ choice," pointed out the monster in the dark, as it gently but firmly wrapped its hand around the little human's neck, its Cheshire grin returning, even wider in size, whilst its entire form began to undulate violently.

Only now, did the 'trance' break, the dark mist clearing and finally allowing the child to fully _**see**_ the beast of a creature in front of him.

And, only now, did the young boy, white as death, let out a silent scream.

...But it was too late.

 _/ Child, don't follow me home_

 _You're just too perfect for my hands to hold_

 _If you choose to stay, you'll throw it all away_

 _And I just want to take... /_

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

 **Seven years later.**

 _/ Is this what you wanted?  
Did I make your dreams come true?  
You're sitting in a corner_

 _Wondering what you got into /_

The Forest of Many Names, where the sun never seemed to shine and no one dared to venture near, was a dark and nefarious place. And the very few who believed themselves brave enough to tempt the devil, were _never_ seen again. Ever.

Inside, deep within and beyond all the eeriness and foreboding, laid a vast clearing. And in the heart of it, stood an imposing mansion of a sinister design - a crossbreed that looked somewhere between an ancient castle of the Middle Ages, and a refined 19th century Victorian mansion.

The nest of the beast that ruled over the forest - _all of it_ its territory, from the first circle of trees at the very edge of the woodland, all the way to the very core, here.

And this was the precise place, for seven years now, that the once little lost boy had been trapped in and tightly held close by the creature of the dark.

Now seventeen years old, the young male would incessantly think of one thing only. ... _Leaving_.

And this, _**no matter**_ the cost.

Which led to the current situation, where the young male in question was making a mad run throughout the halls, after escaping the Master bedroom - upon furtively feeding its resident a sleeping brew and seeing it take effect, with the target sagging into a steep slumber.

Smoothly evading those along his way who tried to stop him - a couple of the Master's other few servants - the young male eventually managed to reach the large front doors.

And then, after prying them wide open and leaving them as such in his hurry, he flung himself out down the path that led directly to the grounds' gates.

Only, before the now grown boy could even set his hands on the silver railings of the gateway, now just a breadth away from freedom, a sudden, strident scream erupted past his lips as an unbearable agony viciously overtook him, forcing him to crumble to the ground in intense pain. A pain he was all too familiar with.

Hidden underneath a harmless-looking eye-patch, the young male's right eye wore the beast's mark - a living sign of belonging, one that told the entire world he was _owned_ completely and utterly by the creature of the darkness.

And, at the slightest hint of rebellion or defiance on his part, it would instantly ' _reprimand_ ' him, as the being would delightfully put it. ...Yeah, _right_. More like torture him unforgivingly.

The mark was cruel, unrelenting, inconsiderate - _exactly_ like its damned creator was - and right now, besides the already searing pain, it was making the young male's eye bleed, abundantly.

As he hissed and shuddered in pain, the grown boy honestly couldn't understand _why_ the mark had reacted at all in the first place.

Given all his previous - and failed - escape attempts, the young male had assumed that the mark could, and would, only work if his owner, his Master, was vividly 'aware' of what he was up to. Only, wasn't the demon currently out of commission? ...Perhaps the draught he had made wasn't strong enough.

Which was odd. He had made sure to put the exact doses said to be equivalent of what would knock out a horse for an _entire_ day. ...Maybe more. To be honest, his hand _had_ slipped a bit, adding a lot more than he had intended - or that had been subconsciously intentional on his part.

Surely that _should_ have been enough?

"Do you _never_ learn, child?"

Apparently not.

Still clutching at his bleeding eye - though the pain had finally begun to ebb away, a little - the grown boy, still on the ground, let his other eye, unhindered and of a lovely, bright cobalt blue, dart upwards over to the source of the half-entertained, half-exasperated voice lecturing him.

There _it_ stood, the source of all his torment and distress for the past the seven years. The demon.

Tall and imposing as ever, the creature that had once appeared as a shadow before him, had since then taken a more deceptive and - as loathe as he was to admit it - deathly alluring form. Looking somewhat like a human, dressed all formal, near regal - and yet not seeming human enough to be mistaken as one - the demon had pale, snow white skin, short and rather unkempt dark, raven black hair and devil red eyes, like cherry blood - and stayed as such when in this form, the ever-changing red hues left for the more demonic appearances it had.

The young male had found that it was quite easy to forget what the being was at times, so he resolutely went and conditioned himself to mentally refer to the creature exclusively as an 'it'.

Which was a lot more helpful than it sounded.

"You must _enjoy_ blatantly putting yourself in peril," sighed the demon, features unnaturally set in stone as they feigned emotions without meaning a single one "How many times has it been now? This _is_ the eighty-ninth time now, is it not? Are you attempting to set a record?"

As strange as that sounded, the monster, genuinely, was not exaggerating.

Since the age of twelve, the young male hadn't lost count of all the times he had either tried to rid himself of his captor - via shooting, stabbing, beheading, poisoning and, all too recently, drugging...just to name a few - or attempted to find a way to get himself out of this dreadful, godforsaken place.

But, it was all in vain and to no avail. Every single, damn time.

 _Nothing_ had worked so far on that afflicting, sadistic, horrid, licentious, demonic Master of his.

...Emphasis on ' _so far_ '. Tenacious, the grown child downright refused to ever give up. _NEVER_.

The captive staunchly believed he'd, eventually, figure a way out. It was only a matter of time.

"Surely you must realize by now that there is _no escape_ for you, boy," remarked the beast with an unrelenting smirk, as if it had just read the other's thoughts, much to the latter's frustration.

Walking towards the kneeling teenager with graceful, measured steps, the demon then towered over the other sinisterly, puncturing its every word with disconcerting emphasis: "Not today. Not tomorrow. Not _ever_."

Before the young male could even manage a full on rebellious glare, he found himself abruptly hoisted up in the air by the beast, its hand wrapped sternly around his throat, prior to having his back roughly slammed up against a wall. ...A wall?

Dazed due to the firm yet harsh impact, the grown boy blinked and glanced around, before he tensed, growing horror clutching at his core.

The demon had just 'teleported' them both, one of its more aggravatingly convenient powers. And they were now back in the Master bedroom. And this was the very _last_ place the teenager _ever_ wanted to be in, especially when he had been in any way defiant. Being in here, _now_ , could only mean one thing.

Hence, cue to his profound alarm and utter indignation.

"No. N- _NO_! Let me _GO_!"

Gasping and thrashing like a wild, cornered animal, the young male yelled and battled, all while clawing fiercely at the demon's arm, yet entirely unable to harm it.

Though its hold on him remained unrelenting, the teen felt as though he was vainly hitting air.

And he _was_ , with the beast willingly turning _any_ part of itself into intangible mist at the most suitable and seemly of times, much the teenager's utter aggravation.

"Damn it, _unhand_ me! LET GO, MONSTER!"

Deep, dark, mocking laughter arose and filled the room eerily, as the demon, eyes gleaming with glee, smiled wide: "Oh, I think not, kitten."

The young male instantly bristled at that nickname. Of _all_ the demeaning terms of endearment the beast used to address him, this was, hands down, the one he loathed the most. He _hated_ cats.

"I'm **NOT** a freaking, bloody _cat_!"

"Oh? What will all the hissing and tantrums, _never_ doing as you are told," taunted the creature of the dark with an ominously amused gleam in its devil red eyes, before it vacated as the demon smoothly resumed its lecturing "Remember, this _is_ what you asked of me, little one. What you _wanted_. For me to take you along with me. Hence, _here_ you are."

Sheer dismay crossed the teen's face at the other's reproving words, staring at it wide-eyed as it declined full responsibility, before he snapped, raging and furious: "I didn't _know_ what I was asking! I was _just_ a child! And you took _full_ advantage of that, you fucking foul, _blasted_ d-!"

The young male didn't get to finish his insult, as the beast suddenly tightened its grip, clamping down hard over the other's frail throat, cutting off both air and speech.

"Now, now. Language, dear boy," reprimanded the demon lightly, despite its gaze narrowing, clearly displeased, watching the young human with rapt attention as the latter began choking, that sole visible blue eye gradually widening with distress "Did your polite tongue shrivel and die as you grew up? Or is this the illustrious 'recalcitrant phase' your kind tend to go through?"

As the young male valiantly fought to breathe again, he managed to reign in his growing panic just enough to glare at the sadistic monster which wore a human face, conveying it all the hatred and hostility the grown boy could muster.

However, that dark look of his only served to amuse it even _more_.

"My, what a truly, _lovely_ raging gaze you have," complimented the demon with a sinister smile, its free hand coming upwards to cup at his cheek, thumb tracing right beneath that bright, lively blue eye "At times, I really think that I ought to just pluck your eyes out and preserve them, keep them in a jar. That way, I could stare at them forever, _without_ you ever shutting me out."

Vivid alarm joining the already visible anger to his features, he threw the other an aghast look, choking out hoarsely: "Y- _Guh_... Y-You w- _wouldn't_ -!"

However, the vile demon was smirking, its wide, elated eyes gleaming with twinkling mockery. It hadn't meant that threat.

...Of course, it hadn't. The abhorrent, sadistic beast.

The monster drew all sort of feelings from him, and of them anger and resentment the most. But also an untameable trepidation at times, particularly when the young male was unable to tell if the demon was being serious or not.

After all, it _very_ much enjoyed teasing and taunting him.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the monster abruptly relinquished its hold on the teen, letting him fall over to floor on his knees, coughing and gripping at his sore - and most assuredly discoloured throat - as he was able to breathe once more.

Damn that demon to hell and back again, as many times as it took.

In addition to the atrocious impression that his windpipe had just been crushed to bits, the grown boy could feel a faint dent in his skin, the marks of a large hand, preluding to a nasty bruising and probably even the swelling of his throat. ...It was a wonder nothing was broken.

Though it never endangered the young male's life to a _critical_ degree, the creature of the dark _did_ 'play rough', more often than not, toying with him to lengths that another would have been driven mad by...

After a moment or two of gathering his bearings, the young male then threw a heavily charged glare at the other, hissing out vehemently, hatefully: "This is all _your_ fault."

Darkening red eyes immediately narrowed before the demon spoke up in a firm tone, one full of warning and devoid of any jest or pleasantry: "Do not dare blame _me_ , child. I _warned_ you. Time and again, that night. But _you_. Did not. _**Listen**_."

"Of course, I didn't! Again, I was a child. I was alone. ...Afraid. I had just lost _everyone_ I ever loved! ...Do you even _know_ what that was _like_?! WHAT IT _MEANS_?!"

"That is your past, child," brushed off the beast, casually ignoring the other's distressed query, before it swiftly knelt down with deadly grace and captured the young male's chin, forcing the latter - who struggled and resisted feebly, weakened - to look at it in the eye " _ **I**_ am your present now. And your future. You will _always_ have nothing else, but me."

"Like _hell_ I'd want-!" seethed the teenager defiantly, before cutting himself off as the monster swiftly moved them once more, too fast for him to keep track and he felt dizzied all over again.

When that then passed, he found himself pinned to the overly fragrant scented sheets of the bed, in such a way that the teenager couldn't move, at all.

And it wasn't the demon who was holding him down, as it merely stood there, with a dangerous smile to its lips, one that chilled the grown boy to the bone, recognizing his situation instantly.

To the average, naked human eye, there was nothing but some invisible, unseen force securing the young male down.

But if one had any association, even the slightest, to the more cabalistic, ethereal side of life, they'd _see_ , see the sheer horror of vividly undulating, thick darkness encircling and protruding from the beast, taking the form of thousands and thousands of tendrils in various shape and size. A terrifyingly ugly sight.

Petrified in addition to being so oppressively restrained, the young male paled, both furious and nervous whilst he shouted at the top of his lungs: "WHAT THE FUCK _ARE_ YOU DOING?!"

Nearing its face to the other's until they were just breadth apart, the monster, eyes burning with predatory hunger, simply smirked wide with morbid amusement: "Why, eating you, dear boy. Now, do stay still."

 _Even_ if the grown boy had had any intention of moving at all after that issued command, the words froze him in place, the cursed mark in his eye forcing him to obey the order relayed.

He wouldn't be able to move a single muscle, only and unless the beast willed it, and _only_ then.

Satisfied with the helplessness of its lovely caged prey, the demon closed in as if to steal a kiss.

Instead, it went and attacked the tensed young male's cheek with its tongue, languidly lapping up at the blood still there, staining that soft, pale skin of his.

Rigid, the teen let out a quiet, shuddering gasp, eyes squeezing shut in disgust. But mostly pain.

For _every_ single, bare touch from the creature of the dark stung, hurt, _burnt_.

Its touch felt like being exposed to a dying but still vividly burning flame, as if being briefly, faintly but most definitely, singed, scarred for life.

Earlier, the grip on his throat would've been a lot worse, if not for the demon's love for gloves.

And, whenever the beast would drag him to its bed and, well, _bedded_ him, _that_ particular pain, in addition to the humiliation and the sentiment of total helplessness, was just too much to bear.

 _/ There's no such thing as fate_

 _Only yourself to blame_

 _You never walked away /_

This had been the priced he had to unwittingly, guilelessly pay, the cost of his innocent, childish and absurd wish, one he'd forever regret.

In exchange of being taken in and looked after as he had wished, his entire being now belonged to the demon. _All_ of him, from the very tip of his hair to the very depths of his core.

And being the monster's possession meant that it could literally do _whatever_ the heck it wanted with him. _**No**_ boundaries whatsoever.

He had never understood what the beast's obsession with him was, nor where it stemmed from. After all, he used to be a boy and was now a young man. A male. Not that _that_ was the part which confused him. Only, wasn't it a _human_ _trait_ to be so 'sexually' drawn to another person?

Either way, he outright refused for the demon to have its way with him at the moment. If it were up to him, it'd never happen at all.

But especially right now. He was _really_ not having it, not when he had just failed to escape. Again. For the eighty-ninth time now - maybe he really was trying to break a record or the like.

Hence, he _truly_ didn't need the damned demon to lord it over him or twist the knife in deeper.

Thus, just as the beast was about to latch its lips to his own, letting its gloved fingers trail over to unbutton the young male's shirt, he spoke up, tone flat: "What do you think you're doing?"

Halting, the demon locked eyes with the other and raised an eyebrow, derision in its features: "What does it _look_ like to you?"

Even though he couldn't move, the teenager could still speak. And his tongue was rather sharp, sarcastic and he knew how to make his words sting. ...He had had a good 'teacher' for that part.

"Like you intend to fuck me. Yet _again_. For the umpteenth this week. Are you _never_ satisfied?"

"So crude," chuckled the creature of the dark, its blood red eyes burning through the boy's blue one "My dear, _dear_ Phantom. You make it sound like a moment of pleasure. And it is. For _**me**_ solely. For you, it is but torment and, in this case, an instance of punishment."

"And that's why you _revel_ in it," stated the boy named Phantom with his darkest glare as the other's smirk merely widened further, now quite close to that of the Cheshire cat, only spookier _'Beast.'_

"Why else? Now, do be q-"

"With all due respect, you _need to_ stop, Master," interrupted the teen cuttingly, skilfully able to be extremely rude and sound a tad respectful at the same time, quick to prevent the other from uttering yet another order, one that would only worsen his situation "I have chores to attend to."

This time, the amusement within the beast's expression was laced with growing aggravation: "It can _very_ well wait, dear."

Another thing that just irritated the hell out of the young male.

Despite having loads of work to do, courtesy of his Master, the crafty demon _always_ found a way to hinder him or slow him down, which allowed it to punish the grown boy afterwards for 'not doing his work diligently enough'.

A rather vicious and unrelenting cycle. Had he not been blessed at birth with a natural endurance which aided to withstand the demon's depravities, he would be constantly confined to a sickbed.

"Should your arriving guests wait too then? How kind of you."

The hint of daunting annoyance that had flitted across the demon's features vanished entirely, as it was tersely reminded of what it had, quite clearly, forgotten.

...Damn it. That was today?

"Oh dear, Master," murmured the teen with a condescending air to his youthful features, feeling particularly triumphant "Did that lewd, lustful mind of yours lead you to forget? The reception will be poorly done, if I'm not in shape, you know? And we wouldn't want nasty chatter behind your back now, would we, _Master_?"

One of the demon's perfectly elegant eyebrows twitched at the young male's biting, cruel tone. Only the teen astutely knew how to make the title 'master' sound completely like a rotten slur.

Though silence stretched over the two of them, he knew he had clearly won this round, and the feel of those tendrils finally releasing him as the beast slowly stood only served to confirm that.

"Fine. You are absolutely right," conceded the demon calmly, watching the teenager closely as a sinister, imperilling smirk gradually found its way to its lips "We shall carry on later then."

Every bit of smugness the grown boy had gained over this brief moment evaporated. ... _Later_?

The young male had genuinely hoped that the despicable creature of the dark would actually, for once, leave him be, leave him alone, let him go. At _least_ until tomorrow. No such blessing...

"You're so fucking unfair," whispered the teenager softly through gritted teeth as he dragged an arm up to cover his eyes, flooded with so much loathing at the moment...that he didn't realize that he hadn't been as quiet as he had thought.

"... _Unfair_?"

And, suddenly, the grown boy could no longer breathe.

Sheer panic seeped through him as he struggled to intake air, air that wasn't present anymore, as if the entire atmosphere had been pumped empty of oxygen, like being stuck in the utter void.

As the young male began to see blackness, the only thing still in the vicinity of his awareness was his Master's voice, cold and threatening as it resonated imposingly in his ears: "I am many things, child, but _never_ have I been unfair to you. I now dare you to tell me otherwise. Go ahead. _Say it_."

Despite the horridness of this forbidding moment, the grown boy named Phantom wanted to be defiant, tenacious.

But, once again, an order had been uttered and it forcefully took its toll upon him, making him spit the vile, bitter truth out despite having not a single desire to: "F- Fine. I-I t-take it...ba-ck."

Oxygen came back to his lungs in a liberating rush as soon as those words had exited his lips, and the teenager let out a loud gasp, falling to his knees and inhaling greedily, as if afraid of going through that horrible ordeal all over again.

Though, to be frightfully honest, it wasn't the first time something similar had occurred to him.

The grown boy named Phantom had succeeded in making his Master snap before and - although he saw this as a feat in itself - generally, the consequences were far less than pretty as a result.

Again, he was well aware that the creature of the dark would not harm him extensively or direly. Only, this time, he had felt far too close to dying for comfort.

He should really start learning how to watch his tongue, or it just might be the death of him. Literally.

Barely gathering his bearings yet, the teen winced as a hand firmly grabbed his arm and tugged up and onto his feet, leaving him to glare directly into blood red eyes, which narrowed at him.

"Now, _do_ behave, little one. As you have said yourself, I will be having some guests arriving shortly. So, keep yourself to your tasks and then you may retire for the night. Until I join you," stated the monster slyly, witnessing with glee the young male's face darken with anger, before, unable to resist, it leaned in to whisper by the youth's ear, to make the moment even worse still "Oh, and do save that lovely temper yours for our personal endeavours _only_ , would you? _No one_ else but I is to see this fierce and fascinating side of you."

In order not to make his predicament worse, the young male stomped down on his urge to punch the demon in that perfect face it wore, in favour of letting out a low, seething hiss: " _Fuck_ _you_."

"And we both know how it _actually_ goes down, little one," smirked the demon, darkly amused, before it pulled back and tilted its head with a contemplating expression "Though I must say, I am quite frankly concerned as to _who_ taught you such unsightly profanities. One of the other servants, perhaps? Bard, maybe? He _does_ have quite the foul vocabulary, does he not?"

"Tch. Don't make me laugh. Like you _actually_ care," sneered the grown boy hatefully, before he gave the other a curt bow and walked off with an angry step, not once glancing back, though he was quite relieved to finally escape from the demon.

Even if wasn't for long.

At times, the young male really _did_ blame himself - for not being able to discern what had been so glaringly staring straight back at him, that one fateful night.

But that self-loathing never lasted too long, and he always ended up hating the beast with even _much_ more burning ferocity than ever before.

Who on earth would actually have it in them to readily mislead _a child_? ...A demon apparently.

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Mentally raging and raving, the boy known as Phantom - christened as such by no other than the damned demon itself, when he had adamantly refused to ever disclose his name to the beast - stormed into the kitchens once he reached them.

There, the young male was greeted by the cook: a tall and well-built, scruffy-looking blond guy, with a faithful signature cigarette to his lips.

"What up, kiddo?" began the other casually, in that thick Western accent of his, until he caught sight of the younger one's murderous expression " _Whoa_. Somebody's in an ugly mood."

"Then don't make it worse, Bard. Let me do my work," muttered the teenager sharply, as he briskly made his way over to the cupboards and began preparing the contents for several trays, slamming down hard each and every little object as he went.

Watching the other who was quite literally steaming with rage, Bard sighed softly, knowing the routine rather well by now.

A wound up Phantom, ready to viciously bite the head off _anyone_ who'd inadvertently provoke him, could only mean-

"He caught you at it again, didn't he?" guessed the blond gently, knowing he'd scored when the other's already dark mood soured even further and he began muttering _**dangerously**_ under his breath.

Sweat-dropping, the tall, blond male didn't even _want_ to know what the other was verbalizing.

Regarding the teenager with a slim twinge of sympathy, Bard then shook his head and sighed, puffing out smoke as he did so: "Damn it, kid. Get over it."

At those words, the young male froze completely for a moment, before he then gradually turned to face the other, wearing such an ominous glare that had the blond wince and take a fairly wary step back. If looks could actually kill, Bard would be dead right now. And gone six feet under.

"Get _over_ it?" echoed the boy named Phantom struggling to stay calm and failing wretchedly "Easy for _you_ to fucking say, when _you're_ **not** the one dragged off to that- that- that _**thing**_ 's bed, every. _Single_. FUCKING. _**NIGHT**_!"

He had yelled by the end, punctuating his fury by snatching at whatever had the ill fate of falling under his grasp, and chaotically sending them crashing around and about, as hard as he could.

Before the carnage became too great to handle, the blond cook rushed forward and grabbed the grown boy's slender wrists, the former's hold gentle but firm: "Hey, _hey_. The dishes didn't do anything to you. ...Sorry, man. But, between us, you've been trying, for _years_ now, to either run away or kill him. Don't you think, you know, with every time you _failed_ , that you should've caught the drift by now? The Master can't be _killed_ , Phantom. And as long as he wills it, you _can't_ leave him."

Breathing harshly as his cheeks had reddened with rage, the teen tried to calm down, placing his focus on the other's words. But, unfortunately, what the blond had said only served to spur his anger further.

Snatching his hands free from the other's hold, he scowled at Bard whilst slowly shaking his head, defiant: "You're wrong, Bard. On both cases. _Anyone_ can be killed. I just haven't found the right way to kill the Master yet. And once I do - and I _will_ \- I'll be finally free from this hell of a nightmare."

With that said, the grown boy then marched up to the kitchen counter and swiftly took a knife - conveniently picking the sharpest of them - before he began hacking away violently at some poor, defenceless vegetables, gleefully and sadistically imagining them as... _something_ else.

"Wishful thinking, don't you think?" commented Bard, raising an eyebrow as he watched the other butcher courgettes, carrots and a few others, steadily reducing them to bits and pieces _**(1)**_.

"I don't believe in wishes," scoffed the teenager, waving his knife carelessly as he spoke, tone and features hardened "That's a useless child's creed. Besides, I'm not a thinker, I'm a doer."

' _Which is why terrible, terrible things happen to me. Alas, I don't think before I act,'_ mentally admitted the grown boy nicknamed Phantom, currently a little more mad at himself, before he paused, pensive "There _has to_ be something. Do _you_ know how to kill the Master? Or anyone else who does?"

Plucking the knife expertly out of the young male's hand prior to somebody getting hurt - notably Bard himself - the blond male then gave it a light twirl before setting it down and throwing the other a stern look: "What I _do_ know is that it's freaking terrifying to hear one of us servants talk about _killing_ the Master so casually."

"I'm not a servant. I'm a _pet_ ," sneered the grown boy, cruelly spitting the word out with venom whilst his cobalt blue eye gleamed bright with utter disdain "The Master made that _pretty_ clear."

"Also made it clear that that title was _his_ to use, not ours," commented the cook, before he gently grasped at the young male's frail, rigid shoulders "Listen. I'd be lying if I said I got what you're going through. I don't. I'm not you. And I can never be. All I can say is that I sincerely wish you well, kid, whatever happens in the end."

As Bard then pulled him in for a brief and gauche hug, the teen swallowed, suddenly feeling a little choked up, whilst, inwardly, he was grateful for the gesture. It was calming. ...Welcomed.

While he was the _only_ human in this household, everyone within it - even his damn Master, though the latter had a _real_ screwed-up way of showing it - was rather...forthcoming with him.

Not all of them were _overly_ friendly - each and every one of them remained a demon in their own right, despite the rankings differing between them - but it didn't change the fact that they viewed and treated him like a person.

Not like a prey. Or a plaything. And even less like a pet...unlike the cruel beast that owned him.

It was perhaps odd to appreciate the other household servants despite _what_ they were, given the flagrant fact that he had come to unreservedly resent a demon, but the grown boy nicknamed Phantom had an easy answer for that. _They_ weren't the ones who ruined and beleaguered him...

"Thanks, Bard. I-"

"Nah, all's good. I mean, we had it coming, me and my big, inconsiderate, loud mouth, neh?"

The young male managed a small smile at that, a true rarity to witness grace his worn features. He was but a young boy who seemed to have endured a lifetime of hardships. But he still stayed painfully beautiful.

Slowly pulling away, the demon cook then glanced at the other, offering carefully: "Now, let's go get our work done, 'kay, kid?"

"As long as you don't go burning anything down, idiot," stated the grown boy in all seriousness, smoothly reverting back to his usual cynical, censorious and most condescending self.

But Bard was too relieved to be offended, giving the younger one a strong but friendly pat on the back, sending him stumbling forwards a bit: "There's the fuckin' spirit!"

The kitchen door was suddenly slammed open with sheer force, causing both males to startle and snap their attention to the one who was standing there.

And upon seeing who it was, Bard stiffened whereas the grown boy named Phantom smirked.

With beautiful tanned skin, sapphire eyes and very long pale silver bluish hair, there stood the only maid the manor had, Hannah, eyeing the cook with sheer scorn as her lilac dyed lips parted to let her speak, her tone highly authoritarian and reproving: "Bard. Do _not_ curse in the kitchen."

As the blond male demon winced, the boy wanted to laugh out and was _really_ struggling not to.

It was _**so**_ weird, but it was like, _every_ time Bard would curse, Hannah would suddenly appear, as if summoned, to scold him. ...Amazing.

"Oh, right! Shit. ...Uh, I mean, sorry."

While Hannah glared at Bard, who quickly shied away sheepishly from her harsh gaze, Phantom rolled his eyes with a grin and went about his business.

Yet, inwardly, still very much dreaded _later_ tonight. And the mere thought lost him his smile...

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Dusk began to fall when Phantom finally exited the kitchens and walked out into the hall, letting out a sigh. He felt exhausted already - though it was more of an emotional fatigue than anything.

Suddenly, two trays were held out in front of him for him to take and, with intense aggravation, he knew that he was far from done with his day yet.

"Now, take this to the main lounge. I am aware you do not like nights such as these, only Master specifically requested it to be you to serve tonight. And remember, Phantom, do not-"

"Don't look the other demons in the eyes," finished the teen sharply with an exasperated sigh, resenting the fact that he was being mollycoddled like an oblivious child, by _Hannah_ out of all "Yeah, yeah, I'll be fucking careful."

He honestly needn't be reminded of this. Looking a demon straight in the eye was a provocation, one that could instigate and lead to some rather 'nasty' events, which was the last he needed-

It was _then_ that he noted that the tall, well-endowed maid was giving him a dark, austere look, leading him to remember too late that she did _**not**_ like impertinence or uncouthness in the least.

Unlike Bard, but just like their Master, Hannah was all about elegance, etiquette and manners. And he had just used the _'f'_ word in front of her. A woma- Well, a _demon_ , yet a female one. Now, given the Era, that was just plain discourteous on his part, particularly since Hannah was more motherly to him than monstrous, despite the fact that she genuinely seemed to have no sentiments whatsoever. Other than criticism - if that _could_ actually pass as an emotion.

The grown boy named Phantom flushed as he hurriedly looked away in discomfort: "S-Sorry."

Expression betraying nothing more than her displeasure, the sapphire-clad maid then let out a sigh, features falling back into their standard detachment and formality: "Apology accepted."

Surprised at being let off this easily, he gave her a weak but grateful smile, to which she merely responded to with a nod, one which appeared indifferent but was faintly laced with lenience.

Hannah then abruptly glanced down the hall, as if something had caught her attention, before she gave a light push to his back, like one would do to encourage a toddler to walk, mechanically uttering more counsel: "Go. Master says that you are running late. And you know well he does not condone tardiness."

" _Sure_ doesn't," muttered the young male under his breath as he reluctantly turned his back on Hannah and started rushing down the hall, mindful not to trip or spill anything as he went _'All about punctuality, that damn, undying beast.'_

Hurrying had led him to be completely out of breath by the time he had reached his destination. So, he paused a moment to compose himself, but didn't linger longer than he had to. The teen knew better than to make that beast wait. ...His Master _could_ be patient, a bit, but not _that_ much.

Easily picking up the smooth, low velvet tone of the monster that owned him, coming from within the room, as it conversed away smoothly with its guests, the young male, features set in stone, walked straight in, without announcing his presence or even waiting for any permission. He didn't have to, for he wouldn't be acknowledged if he did so, which was probably best anyways.

The grown boy named Phantom very much _loathed_ being at the centre of any _thing_ 's attention.

And yet, as soon as he entered the main lounge, a multitude of otherworldly eyes focused on him, though some of them were swift to look away in utter disinterest. But a few others lingered. A little _too_ long, and the teenager knew _exactly_ why.

Even so, the young male was not deterred and did his best to follow on with the advice he had been given, avoiding to meet their stares as he nonchalantly made his way over to where they were all seated in the dim lit room - though a few of them were literally _lounging_ , all laidback.

The demons, though quite discernable as such if one looked _really_ closely, were all startlingly _very_ different in shape, size and appearance in general, opting for a devious disguise that could both fool and fascinate their prey, draw them in, like moths to an unforgivable, deadly flame.

Iridescent, glittering gems for eyes, silken, immaculate locks for hair, smooth, flawless marble for skin, a height and build that was just right - or, at times, a tad over the top, but not enough to care for it - cut-glass, impeccable features meant to amaze, forged personalities and smiles of sheer deceit, all of which could steal one's breath and heart in but a fraction of seconds... They were far too perfect, for it to be natural in any way.

A dead giveaway, for those who were aware, that _something_ was wrong. After all, how would one ever be tempted, if not by sin coated in blinding beauty?

At times, the young male wondered if they at least had the same demon form. Although, given what _his_ _Master_ looked like, the teenager then hastily decided that he _truly_ didn't want to know.

Still keeping his sole visible eye downcast, the grown boy unobtrusively made his way around the seated demons, setting down before them various trays of delicacies and drinks.

As he went about his service, a rapid headcount told him that, with the inclusion of his Master, there were seven of them this evening - all wearing faces he was not familiar with, as in he didn't know _any_ of them - a number too many than usual and which should have alarmed him.

Generally, his Master would receive two or three of its fellow kin at most, to discuss at length topics that were lost on the young male, as the demons often spoke in their own tongue. A creepy vernacular closely similar to bloodcurdling words uttered for dark magic, whispers which would never fail to make the blood in his veins freeze and chills to crawl across his skin.

Years ago, he would have trembled and shook with fear as he walked amongst them to do his Master's bidding.

Now however, he simply passed them by without a single thought or concern. They never spoke to him after all. But they did speak _of_ him. And this late evening was no different.

"My. What a _lovely_ boy you have there, dear Naitsabes," commented one of the demons all of a sudden, one with dark blue hair and eerie green eyes, deliberately reverting back to a language that was understandable to the young male.

And the latter couldn't help but shudder as he was eyed with great intensity, again brought back to attention, but determinedly tried to ignore the obvious interest and focus on his task at hand. Again, this wasn't new.

Over the years, many of his Master's guests had tried to pry him away from this abode, from his owner, with sweet words, or praise, or bribes, or blackmail, or threats, both veiled and not quite as such. But said lord of this manor, the creature of the dark that ruled the Devil's Forest, Lord Naitsabes, the demon of lost dreams, never _ever_ relented, making it quite _conspicuously_ clear that he belonged and would belong to no one else.

Though the young male had yet to know why his Master was named as such, this was the title the beast was widely known by amidst those of its kind. A name the teenager eventually found wasn't the demon's real one. Not even close.

Probably one of the littlest things they had in common. Like him, the creature of the dark never bared its true name - and this to _anyone_ , no matter the kind in question - for names were power, as the teenager had come to learn. And eventually agree with, hence his refusal to divulge his...

"Tell me, fellow demon of mine," drawled out the green-eyed beast, its tone oily and vile despite the lure of all its voice and features "Do you have any intention on sharing your pet with us?"

As a stifling silence fell over the room, Lord Naitsabes and Phantom locked eyes. And to the latter's deepest dismay, the demon that owned him seemed to be _considering_ the other's query.

The grown boy stilled, suddenly very, very much afraid. This had _never_ ever happened before.

Why was the damn demon _even_ thinking about it? Usually, it would just 'kindly' tell its fellow kin to back off. Was it because he had he finally crossed the line? Had the monster finally had enough of his defiance? Would _this_ be a penalty suitable enough for him rebelling for so long? Would the beast truly _do_ this to him? Offer him up on a platter for others to taste and toy with?

Paling at the possibilities wildly pervading his agitated mind, he truly, really wanted to believe that the demon wouldn't go this far, but he had nothing to support that belief. And he couldn't just bet on the fact that the creature of the dark had been firmly, selfishly refusing up until now. Lord Naitsabes was pretty unpredictable. And quite the sadist too.

And so, the young male, horrified, could only keep put, petrified where he stood, wait and hope, that his Master was truly not _that_ cruel.

Whereas turmoil was making itself very comfortable within the teen, the demon of lost dreams leisurely observed his stressed-out pet, viciously enjoying every minute of building up the strain and tension the young male was evidently going through.

As it let the silence drag on, Lord Naitsabes couldn't help but appreciate the grown boy's unique allure, one the latter didn't see and _refused_ to accept.

The teenager staunchly thought his Master was mocking him, only Naitsabes couldn't be more honest on the matter.

Deliciously cursed to be caught between delicate feminine features and a dainty, frail masculine morphology, Phantom was rather short, elfin, and looked too youthful for a seventeen year old human - and within reason too, only, despite the gravity as to _why_ that was, the demon chose not to dwell on it too much.

But what the teen direly lacked in height, he _certainly_ made up for in attitude, one of dripping sarcasm and biting insolence, which the creature of the dark could only relish and revel in.

With pale skin, short and neatly smooth aegean hair, a single eye of cobalt blue, just like a lapis gem - as the demon had cursed the boy's other eye with its own mark, tainting the blue into an eerie, glowing violet, scarred with its pentacle - the young male was a true rarity. So rare and singular for a human, whether as a child or as the teen he was now, that the creature of the dark had to wonder, at times, if the boy was not born from some demon seed. Or an angel's tear _**(2)**_.

It sounded utterly ridiculous at first, but, time and again, it often found that it had to eventually return to this specific musing. Because, in all honesty, the Master knew near _nothing_ of its pet.

Truly nothing, apart from the very little it had gleaned from when they first met that one night, long ago, and what it come to know him as whilst he grew up here.

A naïve, yet darkened boy, the sole survivor of an inexplicable massacre it had yet to unravel. A young, intriguing child of so many steep secrets, a hater of Mankind and a ghost to the world. A phantom. Hence the name bestowed upon the teenager. It fit so perfectly, like a glove.

What the creature of the dark _did_ learn however, over time, about its dear pet was that, despite the horror and shock upon being constantly brought face to face with the occult and supernatural side of life, the teen would then quickly overcome his initial kick in the teeth with _such ease_...it was alarming.

True, the teenager retained some of his apprehension and dread - and loathing - for the world that he was now, forcefully and quite reluctantly, part of. But there it stopped.

Quite rare were the situations that caught the young male off-guard now, for he had this sort of unconditional, if not uncanny and utterly unusual, way to basically _accept_ the strange things before him as they were.

Humans were _not_ supposed to 'accept' the otherworldly so easily, not without losing _some_ part of themselves along the way, whether it was their sanity, their heart, or their soul.

Astonishing as it was, for a human, Phantom, since his tender age, had lost quite _a lot_ and had been _more_ than acceptant to keep it that way, gradually sacrificing the more humane side of himself just so he could adapt to nearly _all_ he faced, no matter the cost - except for his freedom which he was so resolutely attempting to regain - so long that it meant he could live, survive.

...Usually a _demon's_ prerogative.

Sacrificing everything that made one human, _humane_ \- love, faith, morality - was what a beast would do, whether one already or bound to become one.

Or, in diverse scenarios, demons would draw a human to give in to such choices, by influencing them, by inducing them, by tempting them...

Initially, the being of the dark thought it'd been _fully_ responsible for the child falling prey to it. Apparently not.

And yet, in all his hatred and blemished view of the world, the young male _somehow_ managed to keep in touch with the purest part of himself, leaving it harm free, safe from being corrupted. An utterly beautiful contradiction.

"Um, Lord Naitsabes? We lost you there for a minute."

With a falsely pleasant smile to its lips to show it had heard its fellow kin, its glittering devil ruby red eyes then idly met up, yet again, with that single blue eye of its pet. An eye of such a frost like blue, it was as if all the boy's emotions were bottled up behind a solid wall of ice.

But, if one was attentive enough, at times that cobalt blue eye could be relatively transparent, and all what the young male felt could be laid bare.

Just like now. And the pure, pleading desperation the beast saw there was palpable, near painful.

' _...Please. Don't.'_

Much like Phantom, Lord Naitsabes, though entertained at the idea of flaunting its pet, wasn't fond of the boy being sought, by anyone or anything other than itself. It was just that possessive. The boy belonged to the beast itself, no one else. _Nothing_ in heaven or hell would change that.

As Phantom awaited his Master's decision with trepidation, watching the beast warily, he was rather surprised to see the demon's red eyes soften faintly as it gazed at him. But with one blink, that expression was gone, replaced with that typical stone-like appearance demons' faces had.

The young male frowned slightly, bewildered. Had he imagined it?

Even if he hadn't, _no way_ was his Master as kind as to feel anything such as sympathy or the lik-

"As amusing as that sounds," uttered Lord Naitsabes eventually, lazily raising a glass of dark liquid to its smiling lips as it gave a settled glance at its fellow kin "I am not known to share."

Jittery, the grown boy felt like falling to his knees, legs feeling all unsteady, wobbly like jelly.

"Shame," sighed the green-eyed demon forlornly, eyeing the teenager yearningly one last time before fully averting its attention and dismissing him entirely. _At last_.

"That will be all, child," spoke up Lord Naitsabes clearly, breaking through the boy's thoughts.

Effortlessly grasping his Master's obvious cue of _'Take your leave._ _ **Now**_ _'_ ,the teen bowed and then didn't dally a second longer, forcing himself not to dash out to the hall as fast as he could.

He may have gotten used to his 'duties', but he just couldn't stay in there a moment more, not with so many eyes fixated on him so closely, with hungry gazes he desperately needed to flee. Lest he fall prey to them, which would quite literally lead to a rather monstrous war. ...No joke.

He utterly hated that those eyes just about devoured him, like he was food. Which, according to the household and its Master, he really _was._ And this, coming from _any_ demon's perspective.

A first-class meal. A mouth-watering delicacy. Nothing more than some rare treat to gobble up.

Once in a while, even Bard and Hannah would both give him some rather eerily ravenous looks.

The young male shivered, remembering that his Master had mentioned more than once that it had initially wanted to ' _devour_ ' him the night they had first met. Whatever that truly meant - for he had this uncanny feeling that it had very little to do with the literal sense of the word.

He often wondered why the beast chose not to do so in the end. And he also had to wonder if that alternative would have _actually_ been better than the one he was currently forced to endure.

"Hey there," called out all of a sudden a voice Phantom didn't instantly recognize, causing the young male to instinctively look around. Straight in demonic eyes. Dead-on and with no escape.

The teenager froze, instantly knowing that he'd made a mistake. A foolish one. A _terrible_ one.

It was the green-eyed demon from earlier, the one that had showed such a keen and profound interest in him. And now, the grown boy, alone and unguarded, was as good as captured by it.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" the green-eyed demon purred elatedly, lips spread into a wide face-eating grin as it leisurely, calmly walked towards him.

The young male could not utter a word, or look away, caged under this demon's glowing eyes, much to its greatest satisfaction as it closed the distance between them, smoothly pinning him.

Due to living around this specific kind for so long, he had learned over time that these wretched beings could ensnare their prey by overpowering them with their presence alone, completely drowning away all of their victims' worries and fears down the gutter, leaving them largely unaware of the threat they represented. With a single glance.

No wonder he hadn't felt _any_ concern that night he had first met the one that now owned him...

At the mere thought of the beast, the young male somehow managed to snap out of this current demon's induced stupor, before quickly lowering his gaze to evade that dangerous eye-contact.

Snapping out of it just as the green-eyed demon leaned in for a kiss, the young male hurriedly backed out of the way a few steps, attempting an escape, all whilst quickly talking in a tone of decorum, loathing that he had to polite: "I'm not- I'm not meant to... My Master doesn't like me talking to others of its- of _his_ kind, sir."

Cackling in a manner that chilled the teen to the very bone, this demon delicately set its hands on the boy's shoulders: "Oh, come now, pretty boy. He won't know what we don't tell him."

"There is no 'we'. Now, please do excuse me," articulated the teen through clenched teeth, when he then realized, with growing terror, that the other had yet to release him "L-Let me go."

Those eerie, unsightly green eyes narrowed to a lethal degree: "I don't like being rejected, boy."

"And _I_ don't like being touched," pointed out Phantom harshly, features clipped as he fervently made to yank himself out from the other one's persistent and invasive hold "Unhand m-!"

"Shhh," hushed the green-eyed demon with sickening gentleness as it forcefully and near brutally clamped its hand over Phantom's mouth, while its free hand gripped the boy's wrists in a bruising hold "We don't want to be heard, now do we?"

...Was this his destiny? To be used and abused by every demon that'd lay its vile hands on him?

He didn't want this. This excuse of a 'life' he was jailed within, and this moment he was going to be doomed to endure. And what he hated more was that, though it crossed his mind but quite fleetingly, he'd rather be touched by no one else but that nasty demon who _already_ owned him. Better the devil he knew than the one he didn't, right?

One demon he could convince himself to deal with. More than that, and he'd lose it for sure. He was already tilting frighteningly over the edge as it was. Just one more little push- And he completely was done for.

' _ **DON'T**_ _touch me!'_ mentally screamed the teen, eyes slamming shut as sheer dread clutching his very core as he frantically tried to break free, in utter vain, as the green-eyed beast descended upon him _'Someone! Anyone! Help me... MASTER!'_

 _/ And your tears don't mean a thing  
I only come when you scream /_

The oppressing pressure that was keeping him in place suddenly vanished, and then the teenager heard a sharp yelp of pain right before a relatively loud crash resounded, followed by the floor quaking briefly beneath his feet. But, despite all that, the young male didn't _dare_ open his eyes.

Until he found himself wrapped in a warm, gentle embrace accompanied by a particular scent. Both which he was intimately familiar with.

His unhindered blue eye rapidly flew open and met with smothering, raging red: "...M- _Master_."

The fury that was there blazing in those blood red eyes dimmed significantly at the shaky tone of relief that escaped its pet's lips, just about to reassure him, when it caught sight of the bruise there, right at the corner of the young male's mouth. And the ire immediately returned tenfold.

"... _Ah_. Do forgive me, but I _really_ loathe it when others lay their _filthy_ paws on what is _**mine**_ ," intoned Phantom's Master, slowly letting the boy go, before it gently had him stand behind it, as it regarded the other demon with sheer and blatant hostility in its violent, murderous red eyes " _Especially_ , when I have blatantly and most repeatedly declared it so."

"Oh, _relax_ , would you?" said the green-eyed demon with a lofty grin as it slowly got to its feet "It was just a little fun, ok? No harm done. Right?"

The green-eyed demon's face fell entirely when not a _single_ of the other invited demons - who had come forth from the lounge to watch - agreed with it, wordlessly turning their blank gazes and heads away as it sought their blind support. Evidently, none of them wished to side with it.

"A little...fun, was it?" drawled out the demon of lost dreams with a terrifying smile, its entire demeanour, from its stance to its voice changed drastically, dangerously "Then I suppose, _dear_ fellow demon of mine, you would not mind if I had a bit of fun of my own, would you now?"

Barely having the time to react or think, the intimidated green-eyed demon let out a strangled sound as it found itself swiftly grabbed and viciously thrown into the wall - for the second time - by Lord Naitsabes' many dark and endlessly rippling tendrils.

With the wall denting under the impact, the livid lord of the mansion didn't even give the other a breather before its tendrils wrapped themselves stronger around its source of venomous anger, cruelly trapping it in the mock manner of an inexorable crucifix, leaving it no notion of escape.

"Wha-?" uttered the green-eyed demon, dazed and shocked, before it angrily struggled against the hold "What _are_ you doing, Naitsa-?"

Anything else that demon was about to say died a fantastic death in its throat as it caught sight of the lethal expression the red-eyed demon was wearing. It was plainly spelling death. Its own.

"Y-You would _kill_ one of your own? ...For a mere _human_? Have you gone _**MAD**_ , Naitsabes?!"

"Assuredly so," sneered Naitsabes sinisterly, its now twisted expression assuring _nothing_ good "I do wholeheartedly hope that my fun is to your taste, fellow demon of mine. ... _Bon appétit_."

And, without _any_ prior notice whatsoever, the demon of lost dreams had its tendrils plunge right past the bound demon's parted lips, tearing harshly at the corners as they forced themselves in, fast and rough, unrelenting with total and utter belligerence...before they ripped and shredded the demon open, _from the inside out_.

The sight was unbearably insidious, indescribable, blood gushing out and splattering _everything_ around. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, Naitsabes, and even its pet, who could only stand there, worryingly pale and unreservedly petrified.

Phantom had seen his fair share of horrors since the beginning of his stay in the Devil's Forest, for seven years.

But _**NEVER**_ had he seen such brutality. Especially not coming _from_ his Master.

He dreaded the beast that owned him, yes. But _never_ had he feared him. Never before like now.

With dryness in his mouth stifling him, he swallowed hard at the lump in his throat, hoping he could drown the terror growing inside of him and threatening to spill passed his lips as a scream.

...It didn't drown.

And the boy named Phantom screamed, at the top of his lungs, horror etched deep in his voice.

Lost in a frenzy of vile brutality and the sheer need to assert its wrath, it was only when it heard its pet break out in a scream that Lord Naitsabes came back to its senses. And inwardly cursed. It had forgotten itself. Completely.

The demon of lost dreams had always made a point of holding back when around its pet, for it knew what it was capable of. And it had often dreaded where losing control so would lead it to. Like this very wretched moment.

Rapidly retracting back into itself and carelessly letting the ruined, thrashed corpse of the green-eyed demon fall to the floor with a sickening crunch and dripping, bloody splat, Lord Naitsabes hurriedly turned towards the young teenager, before going rigid where it stood, wincing a little.

Pressed deep into the wall behind him, the boy, white as death, was cowering on the ground, quivering legs unable to stand upright anymore, with his face holding nothing but absolute fear.

Tensing at the sight, the red-eyed demon gently called out to him. But it went _utterly_ unheard.

Phantom was no longer here. How could he be? With he had just beheld, reluctantly rekindling an old trauma of his? Given he was covered from head to toe in bright, red rust-scented blood?

 _Tainted red_.

He had never seen this much red. Not even that night where the fire ate away at his childhood, at his hometown, at his family.

At least back then, the cold, dark sky had kindly cut through that stifling, unforgiving crimson.

Just as that thought struck him, darkness engulfed him, strong arms holding him in an embrace.

Shuddering, he was about to relax into that warmth holding him so soothingly...until he realized _what_ was holding him.

The _thing_ that held him, had been relentlessly ruining him for seven years and, apparently, could _so_ much worse. If it wanted to. If it was pushed to.

How many times had those tendrils of darkness, capable of butchery, had touched his bare skin?

Letting out a choked cry, somewhere between distress, disgust and dread, the teenager writhed, wanting, _needing_ to flee, now more than ever.

But the demon that owned him so possessively, so obsessively, didn't release him, holding him even closer still.

Upon seeing that the beast wasn't going to let him, was _never_ going to let him go, he gave up, completely, and went totally limp and immobile. Utterly unmoving.

"...Phantom? Are you alright?" called out the red-eyed demon quietly, growing fairly concerned when the boy, once again, didn't answer it "Talk to me, child."

Lord Naitsabes hadn't meant to make its words an order, but it happened anyways, forcing the teen, too taken by intense fright to be responsive, to speak out despite his terribly shaken state.

"...I'm fine."

His answer was robotic, his tone hollow. But he was shaking all over again, still in total shock...

Grimacing at the situation they were now in, the beast spoke up as gently as it could, whispering softly by the young male's ear: "Go to your room. And clean yourself up. I will be by later."

Not needing to be told twice, Phantom had never obeyed his Master's orders as fast he did then.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

It was late when the demon finally came by the teenager's designated room, as it had promised.

Moving silently in the dark like the shadow it was, the demon known as Naitsabes gently pushed the door open and peered in, glowing ruby-like eyes easily adjusting to the inclosing blackness.

Breathing shallow, the boy laid huddled up on himself, underneath layers and layers of blankets. And the creature of the dark instantly recognized what it saw.

The young human mostly did this when he was dead terrified of something, seeking comfort and sanctuary, in a self-made fort of flimsy fluffiness.

And so, the beast halted in its step, wavering between its insatiable desires and its scant scruples.

Pondering back over to that one short yet significant moment amidst the violence of what had transpired before, it eventually decided for the latter part of itself to win, just for this one night.

The sheer and absolute fear - of none other than Naitsabes itself - it had witnessed clouding its pet's wide eyes earlier, was enough to give the teenager some much needed space for a while.

It could wait. Patience was, after all, the only virtue it did have, just like most undying beings...

Only, just as it was about to walk away, the young male spoke up, his voice a soft, frail whisper: "I'm not asleep, Master."

The demon watched as the teenager slowly rose in silence, covers slipping off of him slightly, before he reluctantly pushed them off completely, carelessly leaving them in a bunched heap.

Rearranging himself upon the bed in order to face the demon, the young male folded his legs beneath him and submissively, tamely bowed his head towards the monster that was his Master. And from that, the boy named Phantom didn't move, with what was left hanging unsaid clear.

This was an invitation. A subdued surrender.

The still quiet that was all up in the air lingered as the beast leisurely, soundlessly, made its way towards where its property remained in his bowed position, immobile.

Halting in its steps as it now stood right by the bed, the demon reached out, its lean, slender gloved fingers stroking and threading through the young male's smooth hair, like one would do to a pet kitten, before it then caught the teen's chin in a gentle, but firm hold, and lifted his head.

Initially attempting to meet the boy's gaze, the demon gallantly allowed that to slide - given the teen was persistently keeping his eyes lowered and hidden beneath his bangs, hidden away from his Master - in favour of tracing the young male's pale, soft cheeks and quivering, parted lips, forcefully trying to ignore the bruise there, lest it distastefully ruined the moment.

To that, the teenager offered no resistance nor protest, staying stock still as the monster's spider-like hands travelled a path from the grown boy's pretty face to the collar of his nightshirt, prying it open and exposing his delicate, heaving chest - which, under the dim moonlight, looked even whiter, more ashen, than it actually was.

"As I have told you, my dear child, I am here for you tonight," it whispered, its deep, baritone voice like velvet, expecting a reaction as it closed in, nipping possessively at that pale, smooth but tensed neck with its sharp, dagger-like teeth... But it got none.

Again, the teenager didn't move nor speak, much to its astounded bafflement.

Usually, the demon's patronizing words of endearment would outright enrage and outrage him - which then tended to lead to an electrifyingly tantalizing struggle of some sort, much to the beast's relish.

...But not now. Not tonight.

He was, for once, for the very first time in seven whole years, tremendously, deathly afraid of the beast standing there in front of him, towering over him, leaving no room for any getaways. An ancillary, transparent reminder of his utter powerlessness in front of it.

Frowning but not saying a word, Lord Naitsabes pulled away slightly, its attention flitting to the teen's wrists, before its brow furrowed even further, a certain level of lividness dousing it.

The delicate skin there had been bruised black and blue, marking him.

Reaching out to lightly trace the mars made by vile hands _other_ than its own, the demon spoke up, its voice gentle, _too_ gentle, as it inquired: "Does it hurt, Phantom?"

Shivering at the fleeting touch but slightly relieved that no pressure to his wrists had been made, the young male rapidly shook his head, unable to say a word.

"That should _never_ have happened," it drawled out slow, voice brusquely dangerous, ominous, murderous, which caused the boy to jump slightly, not daring to look at the other's expression, so sure it matched what he had heard in his Master's tone.

This wasn't good. The teen had absolutely no control whatsoever over his nerves right now. Not good at all. He _needed_ to calm down.

...But _how_ could he?

He had foolishly forgotten, in time, how small, how slight, how weak he was compared to _the_ creature of the dark. Point in fact, there was _no_ comparison to be made. They were worlds apart.

The teen had been so focused on fleeing the monster that he had completely failed to recall that the being that was his Master was a _demon_. All the murder attempts he had made were _in vain_.

What was an ordinary human like him to do against it? If not remain silent and obey its every word without question? If he dared not to, dared to defy...

The sheer brutality and ruthlessness from earlier this night came back to the front of his mind, and he couldn't hold back the cold shivers and iced, chilled trepidation running down his spine.

He'd rather be cursed than admit that he enjoyed his captivity. ...But he didn't want to die either. Especially not like _that_.

He needed to live. He _had_ to. For one, very pertinent reason that was his own and no one else's. And for that, the teen chose then and there that there was a lot he was willing to do, to give up. His freedom, reluctantly but realistically, included. So be it, no matter how much he loathed it.

His thoughts were briskly cut short when his Master's hands abruptly slithered up his legs and then slipped underneath the lower hem of his nightshirt, intrusively making themselves at home, which caused the teenager to snap his eyes tightly shut and clench his teeth, in a furious attempt to stay silent, to keep himself from reacting.

Hands bunching the sheets to keep himself at bay while his Master breathed calmly by his ear as its every touch ruined him further. As they've always done, for seven whole years now.

Aware that this night was going to be no different, the boy, red and restless, steeled himself and finally mustered the strength to ask aloud what he'd rather never to know during depraved moments such as these: "...What will we be doing tonight, Master?"

Though the grown boy's voice remarkably betrayed nothing, the monster halted completely and frowned deep as it sensed the slight tremors the teenager was desperately trying to hide from it.

The creature of the dark was no fool. The young male's atypical submission was only because he was unreservedly _scared_ of it. It could smell its pet's fear still seeping throughout his being.

And the demon known as Naitsabes was fairly, if not quite profoundly, troubled by this fact.

This is _not_ what it wanted to see from its beloved pet. It was hardly amusing if there was not an ounce of fight left in him. It'd be no different than frolicking with an empty, soon-to-be corpse. Where was the fun and challenge in _that_?

...How utterly galling.

Letting out a low, jaded sigh, the creature of the dark leisurely pulled away, much to the young male's confusion, leading him to voice his concern: "Master? Have I-? Have I displeased you?"

"No, dear. You have not. I am merely a tad tired, child. Let us sleep," declared the beast simply, not elaborating further, before it curtly dropped down to the floor on a knee, with absolute grace in its movements, and laid its head upon the young male's lap, closing its glittering ruby eyes.

The boy named Phantom was only able to stare wide-eyed at the other, totally, utterly baffled.

"B-B-But... But, Master, you _don't_ sleep-"

At that, the demon opened up a single to gaze up at the young male: "I can if I choose to, dear."

"I- I see."

Actually, he didn't. Not a bit. Not at all. His Master was acting weird right now. VERY weird.

True, the monster was an oddball - as odd as demons could get - but this was _way_ beyond odd. Was this some joke? Was the beast trying to trick him? Jump him when he dropped his guard?

Too afraid to talk and now too scared to move, the wide-eyed teenager remained stock still and silent as a statue, whilst his heart hammered dramatically in his chest. And the demon heard it.

"Speak you mind, Phantom. Your wariness and restless fidgeting are beginning to annoy me."

"You..."

One of the creature's eyebrows twitched in irritation, the young male's utter inability to express himself was seriously starting to grate upon its nerves.

" _Yes_. ...I?" it encouraged, but the grown boy kept quiet still, leading the demon to sigh irately "Really, child. I have not heard you this inarticulate since that night where you first stumbled across my path. Talk."

"... _That's_ what you're truly capable of," uttered the other eventually, suddenly, his inaudible voice filled to the brim with apprehension and a small, indistinct slapdash of awe "How cruel you can really be. How demonic you _actually_ are."

The beast, bewildered somewhat, had to arch an eyebrow at the other's words: "You are making no sense, little one. Was that little display of before the one and _only_ time you saw me for what I truly am? After all this time? All these years? ...Did you hit your head today, Phantom?"

"You **never** did _that_ to _me_ ," emphasized the grown boy, insistently trying to get his point across "But...you _could_. If you wanted to? If you chose to?"

Though the demon did let out a quiet, mirthless chuckle after a still, stagnant moment of silence, it didn't answer the grown boy.

And it didn't have to. The teen supposed he already knew the answer. To _that_ question, at least.

Many questions _still_ lingered however.

And of them, why, oh _**why**_ , did this creature of the dark ever relent to his insane and inane wish that night?

And why _him_? If it had been anyone else, anyone at all, would the exact same have happened? Would the monster, overtook by an inexplicable and venal whim, have a pet made of them too?

...Honestly? Phantom didn't think so.

The hefty silence lengthened, with neither of them too willing to break it as it surrounded them.

It wasn't a comfortable silence, but it was definitely a calm one. So calm that the teen idly began threading his fingers through the demon's silky, black strands for hair.

Without realizing it, Phantom had initially started that to distract himself, and eventually forgot himself in his motions, his mind far, far away.

And the demon let him, allowing it, knowing the teenager well enough to recognize the other was too lost in thought to pay attention to what he was doing.

Honestly, this _was_ a real first anyways.

The grown boy had never initiated any contact on his own, with anyone. And even less so with the beast. He only did it when told - and even then, he'd make it difficult, a welcome challenge. So to say that the demon was bothered by the other's absentminded touch would be a laden lie...

That rare moment of indulgence lasted for a bit longer, until the situation finally dawned upon the young male, and he hurriedly snatched his hands away, as if he had been burnt - even though, oddly enough, it hadn't been the case, for once.

Cheery blood eyes slowly opened again and met with the narrowed glare of an enthralling blue and an ethereal purple, but the demon didn't say anything, patiently waiting for him to speak.

"You should have pushed me away harder that night. Scared me. Threatened me. Or just plain out eaten me, right then and there. You _could_ have. So, do tell me, Master. ...Why _didn't_ you?"

The teen's tone was no longer meek, but now accusatory instead, bordering on growing angry.

Not paying mind to the slim sentiment of relief passing it fleetingly, the demon chuckled at the vivid change in the other's demeanour.

...Good. _This_ was the Phantom it knew, and was quite thoroughly and outrageously attached to.

"Oh, believe me, dear one, I _wanted_ to," confessed the monster with a wide smile, reaching out to brush away the other's locks from veiling those large, striking mismatched eyes of his "But that sweet, innocent side of yours, was simply _too_ much to resist. I had this burning, illicit desire to corrupt you. To break you, and yet not have you fully broken. To make you mine. _Entirely_."

As his Master punctuated its every possessive word with light caresses to the teen's thigh with its other free hand, the teenager shivered at the touch, but rather than pull away or stop the other, he threw the demon a horrid, hate-filled scowl, which only served to make the being chuckle yet again, dreadfully entertained.

"And you succeeded," noted the teen darkly with a glower as he glanced away "In all of that."

"Obviously. My kind _always_ gets their way."

This time, it was the creature of the dark that fell silent, mind wandering, its own words having a dire toll upon it, and dragging it down a steep path of memories it could do very well without.

Up until the teen spoke up, voice firm and cutting, breaking through the beast's inner musings.

"So does mine," declared Phantom firmly, mismatched eyes meeting the demon's half-lidded gaze with grit "I'm _going to_ kill you. When you least expect it, I _SWEAR_ , I'll kill you, demon."

At that, Lord Naitsabes let out a low, elated laugh, sounding more regaled than mocking, before it seized the other's face within both its hands and drew closer, until they were but a kiss apart.

"Go ahead then. Do your _worst_ , child. And in turn, I swear, I shall do mine."

 _/ I told you  
Child, don't follow me home  
You're just too perfect for my hands to hold  
If you choose to stay, you'll throw it all away  
And I just want to take... _

_Your innocence /_

* * *

 _ **(1)**_ I just realized that there's actually NO logic whatsoever for Phantom's actions in the kitchen. Like, seriously. What the heck.

 _ **(2)**_ I solemnly _swear_ that I'll elaborate on that a tad further whenever this fic gets a continuation.

* * *

 **A/N:** After a lot of consideration, I'm going to leave this fic as a One-shot as I had originally intended. For _now_. There's a chance that I might come back to this story sometime in the future.

But for the time being, I'm happy with the way it is. I also, alas, have too much on my mind and hands to go any further with this, and I really don't want to ruin it as a result. Given that I truly have no inspiration right now for what may follow in this fic, I prefer to wait. Therefore, I _**genuinely**_ apologize if you were expecting more in imminent times.

So, once again, the lyrics in this fic are from the song ' _Innocence_ ' by Halestorm, an epic band if I may say so (I recently find myself more inspired after listening to music, a new feat for me).

A few explications are in order I believe, before I take my leave (hey, that freaking rhymes!). And of them this, the child/now grown boy and the beast/demon of lost dreams can be without a doubt associated to the Earl Phantomhive and Michaelis Sebastian respectively.

 **But** , in this fic (which is evidently more of an AU than related to the Canon series in any way), I wanted to experiment with something different, _especially_ given the direction the manga's latest chapters are heading.

Hence, without spoiling anything for those who aren't up-to-date or haven't read the manga yet, let's just say there _**is**_ a reason why I no longer refer to the Earl Phantomhive as 'Ciel'. And 'Sebastian' was **NEVER** the demon's actual name, so that's that...

Thus, I took the liberty of not naming them and giving them 'nicknames' instead ('Phantom', is derived from the Earl's family name; and 'Naitsabes', is simply 'Sebastian' reversed, upside-down). It makes it way cooler that way, albeit a little confusing. I hope that clarifies things up.

If not, please do not hesitate to contact me by PM, for this or any other reason. I will answer...

Thank you for giving this fic a moment of your time. Please feel free to check out my other fics (if you can stomach them though, as I do write dark most of the time).

And so, until whenever, dear ladies, gents and everyone else, _Bella_ Ciao!


End file.
